


Scarlet Briar: The Redemption of Ceara

by Abraxxus



Category: Guild Wars 2
Genre: Asura - Freeform, Guild Wars 2 - Freeform, Scarlet Briar - Freeform, Sylvari, charr - Freeform, gw2
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-05
Updated: 2020-06-28
Packaged: 2020-11-24 00:29:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 68,292
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20898662
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Abraxxus/pseuds/Abraxxus
Summary: A multi-chapter Guild Wars 2 AU story of redemption of Scarlet Briar. Surviving the battle of Lion's Arch, Scarlet Briar, formerly known as Ceara, finds herself free from the madness brought on by the elder jungle dragon Mordremoth. But Tyria is not safe. Rumblings that Scarlet Briar has appeared in various places across the land sets her on a course to face off against an enemy she never dreamed she would face.For more information on this AU story, please check out my tumblr at https://brax-was-here.tumblr.com/





	1. Come Home, My Child

**Author's Note:**

> This story takes place during Living World Season 2 in the Guild Wars 2 game lore.

_Sometimes those who seem truly lost can be saved…_

Lion’s Arch, the commerce hub of Tyria, the Jewel of Kryta, lay in ruins. A sudden sneak attack from the Aetherblades, led by Scarlet Briar, ravaged the city, leaving nothing but death and destruction in its wake. Scarlet’s Breachmaker, her ultimate weapon, the culmination of her studying and plotting, towers above the ruins in Sanctum Harbor, her plan almost to fruition…almost. A harried band of heroes, led by The Dragonslayer, brought the fight to Scarlet’s doorstep and stopped her. Scarlet, wounded in the battle, squirmed on the floor of the Breachmaker command center, defiantly taunting the heroes. 

"Don’t you want to know why I did it? All the chaos and destruction?“ she hissed at them. But they weren’t in the mood for listening; they just wanted her dead. She managed to hold them off for a few minutes more, long enough for the Breachmaker to start drilling into the rock at the bottom of the harbor, before The Dragonslayer stabbed Scarlet through the abdomen, pinning her to the floor. 

"You fools…you think my death saves you?…Too…late…” The Breachmaker struck the ley line of magic energy that ran under Lion’s Arch and sent a blast up through the center of the machine. Scarlet smiled, for she knew this was not the end. The Dream was just a heartbeat away. 

In the Grove, the Pale Tree, busy discussing matters with some of her children, took pause. She had felt a connection to the Dream for a brief instant. A connection she had not felt for a very long time. She turned her attention to the east, towards Lion’s Arch. 

"Mother Tree? Is something wrong?“ one of the young saplings asked. 

"Ceara…” the Pale Tree whispered, “come home, my child.“ 

Spinning out of control, the Breakmaker started breaking up from the blast. Ceara felt herself falling from the wreckage, her body impacting the water below. Her armor bore some of the brunt, but it didn’t matter. She was dying. Too weak to swim, she slowly sank into the depths. If her wounds didn’t end her, drowning surely would. 

"So this is it. So this is how it ends,” she thought. A soft light appeared in the blackness and she felt tiny hands over her skin. "This is death.” As she closed her eyes and faded to nothingness, one small whisper floated through her mind… 

“Come home, my child.”

A cool, gentle breeze brushed over Ceara’s face. She slowly opened her eyes, her vision blurred. 

"Am I dead? Is this the realm of the dead?“ Her vision cleared and she realized she was lying in a grassy field, the air crisp and comforting. She sat up and looked around. 

"This is…Astorea? I’m out side of the Grove,” she said to herself. She watched the Sylvari move about, going along with their seemingly mundane routines, but something seemed off. 

"The air… it’s unusually cold.“ It was indeed. In fact it was cold, and felt as if it was getting colder by the minute. She started walking towards a small group of Sylvari tending to their gardens, when she heard her name whispered on the wind. She paused, and looked around slowly. Again she heard it. And again and again, echoing through the air. She brought up her hands to cover her ears, and closed her eyes to focus on silence. Louder and louder it sounded. 

"STOP!” she yelled as loud as she could. Silence then; it was gone. She looked around at the Sylvari again. None of them seemed to take notice. Her attention rested upon a single woman who was tinkering with a piece of old machinery, her back towards Ceara. She cautiously approached the lone figure, realizing it was her younger self, not too long after she had been born from the Pale Tree. Her past self hummed happily seemingly very content with her work. Ceara lightly tapped the figure on the shoulder, causing it to abruptly to stop humming, though she kept tinkering with the device. Ceara grabbed her by the shoulder and spun her around. She gasped. She looked back into her own face, but this one was pale and twisted, its eyes as black as night. The spectre opened its mouth and released a gasping, raspy scream.

"Pale mother…“ Ceara spat as she stepped back from the creature. She looked around at the other Sylvari. They were now all turned towards her, each with the same twisted visage of her own face. 

"Ceara…” they all gasped in unison as they started walking towards her. Backing up, she realized the only place she had to run was into the Grove. 

As she ran along the path the lead to the Grove, plants withered and died as she passed them. She stopped running when she entered the Grove. She gasped, pausing to look at the Pale Tree and everything around it. Everything was dead and gray. The branches of the Pale Tree knarled, twisted and covered in thorns, it’s leaves edged with spines. She quickly turned as the pathway behind her overgrew with thick branches and vines. 

"What…what’s happening?“ She turned back and cautiously continued to walk further into the Grove. She arrived at the Pale Tree’s circle, pausing at the sight she came upon. There was The Mother Tree, in the middle of the circle, standing over a wounded version of Ceara herself. 

"You were always a thorn in my side. I should have ended you long before now,” The Pale Tree snarled at her wounded child. Ceara watched as the Pale Tree held up the sword Caladbolg and plunged it into the figure’s chest, the body shattering into a cloud of mist. Ceara slowly took a couple steps closer. “Ceara…” the Pale Tree said softly, which made Ceara stop. The Pale Tree turned to face her, its visage the same twisted version of her own face. Its dead eyes stared at her, a menacing smile across its face.

"Welcome home, my child.” 

It drove its twisted Caladbolg into the earth, causing the ground to shake and crack. Scarlet red tendrils erupted from the ground around Ceara, wrapping around her body and hoisting her into the air. 

"Wha…what are you?“ she gasped. The Pale Tree just smiled intently as the ground under Ceara collapsed. She found herself falling into the pools of water at the bottom of the Grove, the tendrils still wrapped around her pulling her deeper and deeper. She struggled to get free, but it was to no avail. Feeling herself drowning, she let out one last scream…

When Ceara woke, she was still screaming. Her vision was blurry, and she frantically looked around at her surroundings, though she was unable to make out anything clearly. The only thing she knew was she had to get out of wherever she was. Panicking, she stood up and immediately fell, crashing against a table, knocking the things onto the floor. She felt weak. Extremely weak. She tried to crawl across the floor, but every move seemed to take her maximum effort. As her vision cleared, she realized she was in a room that was obviously Sylvari in nature.

“That thing is still here,” she thought. “I’ve got to get out of here.” She heard footsteps enter the room and someone grabbed her. She immediately fought back as much as she could, but she was in no condition to do anything.

“Ceara,” a male voice spoke. She continued to struggle. “CEARA! CALM DOWN!” He spun her around and she saw the face of another Sylvari. She stared at him wide eyed for a moment, then continued struggling.

“LET ME GO!” she screamed. DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM?“ It was no use though. She was too weak to break his grip. Finally she gave up.

“Yes, I know who you are.” He helped her up.

“Are you…you’re… real?”

“Yes, as real as you are. As is this place. Now, let me get you back in bed. You need to rest and regain your strength.”

“Who are you?” Ceara asked sternly. He poured some water into a leafy cup and handed it to her.

“Here, drink. You…” Ceara forcibly knocked the cup from his hand. He let out a small sigh. “Ceara…”

“THAT’S NOT MY NA…” she cut her outburst short. “That’s not my…” Ceara looked at the floor, puzzled. She had taken up the name Scarlet Briar in the months prior. Why is everyone…or everything…calling her by her birth name? She looked up at the man. “I asked you a question. Who are you? Where am I?”

He poured another cup of water. “My name is Seoras. I am a Mender and right now you are my ward. Now, drink. You’re dehydrated and malnourished. You’re in my home in Bloodtide Coast.”

“Why are you so far from the Grove?” She asked.

"I removed myself from the Mother Tree years ago.“

“So you’re Soundless?” She asked.

“Yes, much like yourself,” Seoras replied. Ceara thought about the whisper she heard before she blacked out under the water.

“How long have I been here? The last thing I remember I was sinking into the harbor in Lion’s Arch.”

“You were brought to me 2 months ago..”

“2 MONTHS!?” she gasped.

"Please remain calm. You need to preserve what little strength you have,” he said softly. “Yes, 2 months. You were brought to me by a group of Quaggans that had found you floating in the waters outside the harbor. You were wounded critically, and they apparently did not know who the terror Scarlet Briar was.” He paused. “You’ve been in a coma. You were on the verge of death but I managed to keep you alive. Now that you are awake, that means you are making progress, but you’re still a long way from walking out of here.”

Ceara looked down at the cup, staring into the water for a moment. “So I guess the world thinks Scarlet Briar is dead,” she said quietly.

“Well, yes, except for the Order of Whispers, apparently. I had a nice visit from one of their agents while you were unconscious. It took all I had to convince him not to kill you. I’m fairly certain they are listening in to our conversation now actually. Hopefully they didn’t share the fact that you live with everyone else. I would hate to have to move all my things again.” He paused a moment. “There is also the matter of all the ghost sightings that have been reported. Apparently, your ghost has been seen in numerous places around Tyria.”

“My ghost?” She looked up at him. “What are you talking about?”

“Well, apparently your ghostly apparitions have been seen in Kessex Hills around the location of that awful tower you constructed. It has also been seen around the Crown Pavilion in Divinity’s Reach, in Rata Sum, in Hoelbrak, as well as around the ruins of Lion’s Arch recently, where the Lionguard have said it dances through the ruins in the darkest of night.”

She turned back to stare at the cup. He continued, “Everyone who has seen it has said the same thing. Ghostly, wispy white with the blackest eyes.” He paused a moment. “The eyes of death.”

Ceara leaned forward, immediately remembering the nightmare she had. Seeing herself, the other Sylvari, even the Mother Tree, all pale, all with the blackest of eyes and twisted mouths. Seoras took notice.

“Is something the matter? You look distraught.” She looked at him.

“I had a nightmare, just before I woke up. Sylvari all with white skin and black eyes. I saw myself like that. Mother Tree as well.”

“Describe it to me,” he asked, and she told him everything that happened in the nightmare.

“Hmm…” Seoras looked to the floor, lost in thought. “I’ll have to study on this and see if I can find a conclusion. There is definitely a connection.”

Rain started to fall outside. Looking out of the window he said, “There is a storm approaching.” He attached a leafy cover to the window, then proceeded to walk over to a shelf and touched a small plant. A faint lavender-like scent filled the room. He turned to her. “We’ll discuss more about this later. For now, you need to get some rest.” He turned and left the room. Ceara felt uneasy, but sunk down into the bed.

“Rest,” she thought to herself “Something I have never been able to…” She paused and listened. She realized that the dark voice that had always been present in her mind was strangely silent. Long moments passed and nothing. “Is it true? Can this be true?” She felt a tad bit of excitement and she giggled lightly to herself. “Is this peace at last?” she thought to herself as she drifted off to sleep.

Amaranda arrived at the Omphalos Chamber. “Mother Tree, I am here as you requested.”

“Thank you for arriving as quickly as you did. I’m sure you know why I called you here.”

“I do, Mother. I feel it as well,” Amaranda stated. "There is a cancer growing within the Dream of Dreams.” The Pale Tree lightly nodded, and then turned to her servant.

“Could you please find Rian and have him come see me?” The servant bowed and ran off. Once the chamber was empty, the Pale Tree turned to Amaranda, who looked somewhat inquisitive.

“I had to send him away,” she said. “After Scarlet Briar was felled in Lion’s Arch, for a brief instant I felt a connection to the Dream that I had not felt in a long time.”

“I felt it as well, Mother. It was Ceara. Her connection to the Dream was very brief, but it did not go unnoticed. What do you think it means?”

“I believe Ceara is still alive.” Amaranda’s face grew concerned.

“Mother Tree, if that is true…do you think she has corrupted the Dream?” The Pale Tree looked to the sky.

“I think it is something more than just Ceara. Stories claim that her ghost has been seen in various locations in Tyria, most notably in Lions Arch and Divinity’s Reach. I believe we can save Ceara from the madness that has twisted her soul. I would like you to investigate and try to make contact with this ghost.” Amaranda looked puzzled.

“Is that wise, Mother Tree?” Amaranda asked, concerned.

“Your connection to the dream is the strongest of all my children. I believe you would have a much better chance of dealing with this spirit than any others.” Amaranda looked at the ground briefly, resigning herself to the Pale Trees request.

“Mother, I will do my best.” Amaranda bowed and turned to leave the chamber.

Days passed. Ceara had gained enough strength back to get herself up and about. She had never felt so rested as she was from the past few nights of sleep. Leaning against the side of the window, she looked out over the field, watching other soundless Sylvari tending to plants and other daily tasks.

"There’s so much to explore out in the world. So much to learn, and yet they stay here, living a simple life. How boring!” she thought to herself.

“I brought you a change of clothes,” Seoras said as he entered the room. Ceara glanced over her shoulder at the small pile of fabric. “I realize it’s not much.” He paused. “Is something troubling you?”

“Why did you save me?” she asked after a long pause.

“I’ve made it my mission in life to help and heal all Sylvari, no matter who they are,” he replied. "That includes those that may have chosen questionable paths in life.” Her face turned sour.

“Questionable paths…” she said quietly. Her thoughts turned to what she had done over the past couple months. Seoras sat in a chair.

“When you were brought to me, many of the Sylvari that live here protested greatly. They said we should just throw you back to the sea. Some threatened to contact the Lionguard, or even the Seraph in Divinity’s Reach. But I believed that I could help you.” He paused a moment, lost in thought.

“Can you tell me what happened?” he asked. Ceara shot a hateful glance at him, then turned back to the window.

“Why do you want to know?” she asked bitterly.

“Perhaps talking about it would help to ease your pain. Even just a little would be better than keeping it bottled up inside. It would only drive you mad….” his voice trailed off. She gave him the most sour look he had ever seen from any Sylvari in his life. Looking down he said “I’m sorry. That was the poorest choice of words I could have spoken.” He got up to leave. She turned back to the window.

“I saw the very fabric of the universe itself,” she said sternly. He stopped and looked at her. “Sylvari, humans, dragons, the Pale Tree, everything of Tyria all intertwined together by magic. I wanted to learn how it all worked. I saw the Eternal Alchemy, all these intricate systems that made up our very reality. Mother Tree warned me not to go any further in my exploration of it, but I ignored her. I thought I could control it, use it to rid myself of the voice that was constantly in my mind, a voice that haunted my dreams. I could hear the voice coming from the abyss. I explored further in hopes that I could see what it was. The longer I stared at it, the more it stared back. I could feel it taking control of me, its fingers wrapping around my mind like…” she paused briefly, “…a vine.” She glanced at Seoras, who was sitting in the chair again.

“What was it?” he asked.

“A dragon.” She paused for a moment. “When I emerged from Omadd’s machine, I was changed. The dragon had changed me. I wasn’t Ceara anymore. I was someone else.”

“Scarlet Briar,” he said.

Ceara turned back to the window. "Yes.” She paused. “I tried to fight it, but it was overpowering. I couldn’t tell what was real and what wasn’t anymore. Just that I had a mission.”

“Destroy Lion’s Arch?”

“No…tap into the leyline of magic that lay beneath Lions Arch and redirect it to the dragon, to feed it.”

“Do you still hear the voice?”

“I haven’t heard it since I awoke. Honestly, it’s been gloriously peaceful.” A small smile crossed her face. The sun was starting to get low. She turned from the window. “Thank you for all your help, Mender, but the time is coming for me to go.”

“What? You aren’t healed enough to leave yet.” She went over to the trunk where her armor was being stored, a suit she had built herself, scarlet red leather and steel now scored and bloodied from the battle on the Breachmaker. She picked up the bodice and held it out in front of her, glaring at the hole where the dragon slayer had stabbed through her abdomen.

“I’ll have to fix that later,” she said to herself.

"Besides, if you leave now, if anyone were to recognize you, you would be in grave danger, possibly killed. On sight even,” he protested. She continued to ignore him, putting on her armor. “Ceara…”

“Mender, I’m fine.” she said sternly.

“You’re making a mistake,” he said.

“There is something out there that everyone thinks is me. I need to find out what it is,” she said turning to face him.

“What will you do when you find it?”

“I don’t know.” she replied, grabbing a small bag, “but…I guess that’s part of the adventure.” She let a big grin spread across her face. She bid the Mender farewell and made her way out into the world.

“I have a feeling I’m going to see her again soon,” Seoras said to himself with a heavy sigh.


	2. Nightmares Come When Shadows Grow

_Sometimes life gives you a different path._

The sun set as Amaranda made her way northward from Caledon Forest into the Kessex Hills of Kryta, as she wanted to investigate the area around Viathan Lake before making her way to Divinity’s Reach. Months prior, the lake area was a hotbed of activity for the Toxic Alliance - a unification of forces of the Nightmare Court and the Krait, a unification forged by Scarlet Briar. It was the location of Scarlet’s Tower of Nightmares, which she had the alliance build to protect a giant spore plant. The ground had a slight glow from residual toxic dust that was released and the spore saplings that had taken root when the tower was destroyed. After the attack, bandits had moved into the area and she knew she had to be careful. Nearing the lake, the wreckage of the tower was becoming visible in the moonlight.

“So much pain here,” she thought to herself, a wave of sadness passing over her as she slowly walked by the large, twisted sections of the tower. The very land was poisoned. She looked over the glowing spore seedlings that were growing throughout the wreckage, their light shining like tiny lanterns. She let out a sigh, and paused for a moment. She felt another presence nearby. 

"Who’s there?“ she asked, turning suddenly. She heard the sound of shambling footsteps. “There shouldn’t be any Risen left in this area,” she thought. 

"Hel…help me…please help me…“ a voice called from the dark. A human male, wounded, shambled into the light of her torch. “She’s coming for me…please, don’t let her get me.” He fell to his knees. Amaranda moved towards him and knelt down. 

"Who is? Who is coming to for you?“ she asked. The human looked up at her, his eyes gouged from his face. She jumped back. 

"Scarlet is coming….” he gasped before falling to the ground. She looked in the direction from where he had come and could make out a structure in the distance. Cautiously she walked to it and came upon what looked to have been a small fishing villa along the lakeside, but it had been taken over by bandits. Now all of its current inhabitants lay dead, each of them looking as if the life force had been siphoned from their bodies. Some had weapons drawn. Others looked as if taken by surprise. 

"Pale Mother,“ she exclaimed. She could feel residual energy from the Dream emanating off the bodies. 

"Scarlet was here.” She knelt down to inspect one of the bodies, but there are no marks on them. “Whatever happened here, these people never stood a chance.“ Amaranda stood and took a deep breath. “Ceara, what have you become?” 

"She has become death,“ a voice said behind her. Startled, Amaranda turned suddenly, her hand on her dagger. Just outside of the door stood another human male, an older man that looked tired and weary. 

"Who are you?” she asked. 

“Just an old fisherman who used to make his living on this lake.” He stepped inside the building. “Now I just burn the bodies left behind,” he said looking at the scene in the room. “I assume you are here seeking the ghost?” Amaranda nodded slowly. “You best not go looking for it. Anyone who gets close to it usually doesn’t survive long enough to tell the tale.“ 

"Do you know what happened here?” The fisherman grabbed one of the bodies and started dragging it outside. 

"They tried to harvest some of the spores themselves. They paid the price.“  
"You’ve seen it then? The ghost?“ 

“I have, but only from a distance. I dare not get close lest I end up like these poor souls.” He continued to stack the bodies in a pile. “She tends to the plants like they are her children. Talking to them. Laughing.” 

"How often does it appear?“ Amaranda asked. 

"Almost every night over the past few weeks it has appeared here. If I don’t see it, I hear it. Recently though, it has been chattering about some party in Divinity’s Reach.” 

"Thank you, kind sir. I must be off.” She started to leave. 

"Stay safe out there, and be careful. There are still plenty of bandits and centaur in the area.“ She looked back at him one last time and nodded lightly. She continued her journey towards Divinity’s Reach. 

♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

Making her way through the marshlands of Bloodtide as the sun set, Ceara realized that if she wanted to have any chance of searching around Lion’s Arch she needed something to conceal her identity. Sneaking around in the shadows at night would be ok and all, but the glow of her skin, hair and eyes would give her away. And if the Lionguard and any other security personnel recognized her, they would try to kill her instantly and not bother to ask questions later. It wasn’t long before she found her answer. In the distance she could hear people shouting and laughing and someone trying to drunkenly sing very badly. 

“Bingo,” she whispered to herself. She had found the small group of pirates that had been holed up in the marsh. 

“Covington pirates if I remember correctly,” she thought. They had taken refuge in a small shanty town they had built for themselves out of the timber of their wrecked ship as well as any other materials they could scavenge. They were all sitting around a fire.

“Wonderful, inebriated as usual,” she thought as a smile crossed her face. “Let’s see what I can find.

She crept around the outskirts of the camp, making her way to one of the ramshackle huts. She paused before entering because the smell from inside almost put her down.

“Pale mother!” she said gagging, covering her nose and mouth. She backed away and quietly climbed a set of stairs nearby while trying not to vomit. Taking deep breaths trying to get the smell out of her nose, she entered the next hovel. There were broken boxes and small chests scattered about. She searched through them looking for anything of use before pausing. Someone was coming up the stairs. Looking around, it dawned on her that there was nowhere to hide. The figure entered the hut and held up her lantern.

“Who’s in he….?” The pirate’s eyes widened and mouth fell agape. “Scarlet Briar,” she gasped before her eyes rolled back and she seemingly fainted, dropping the lantern. Ceara reached out to grab the woman, but she had already fallen out of reach backwards through the makeshift railing.

“Thorns!” Ceara cursed as the pirate woman fell to the ground.

“What’s going on over there?” she heard coming from the gathering. “Toad, go see what the hell Jin is doing up there.”

“My name isn’t Toad. It’s Entti!”

“I don’t care. Just go check it out.” Ceara watched as an asura walked over to where the woman had fallen.

“Jin’s out cold!” he yelled. He looked up to the broken railing. “Looks like she fell off the platform!” After getting waived off by his mates, he walked up the stairs to where the railing had been broken. What he didn’t see was Ceara in the shadow of the hut, holding a bent piece of metal she had found. Clubbing him in the back of his head, she immediately grabbed him before he fell and pulled him back into the hut. Picking up the lantern, she looked over him and noticed a familiar piece of equipment.

“Aetherblade goggles?“ she said sternly. She grabbed them off his head. “Where did you steal these from?” She put them on, resting them on her forehead. “I need these more than you do.“ She checked his clothing for anything else. Nothing. She doused the lantern and quietly made her way downstairs to where the woman had fallen.

“Hey Toad! Yer comin’ back or what? You fall through the stairs again?” one of the pirates yelled, a chorus of laughter erupting around him. Ceara glanced over at the gathering.

“That’s right. Just stay over there,” she whispered while going through the woman’s clothing. The only thing she found was a small pistol that looked like it hadn’t been cleaned in years. “Hmph. I could make better weapons than this in my sleep. But it’ll have to do for now,” she said to herself. The woman started to stir. She opened her eyes to see Ceara holding her weapon.

“PLEASE DON’T KILL ME!” she screamed. Startled, Ceara looked at her.

“What’s going on up there!?” someone yelled from the gathering. Ceara glanced at the pirates who were now taking interest in the commotion, and then back at the woman.

“I’m sorry!” Ceara hit her on the head with the butt of the pistol, knocking her out. She then darted off into the shadows.

“Someone attacked Jin! Spread out and find them!” one of them slurred.

Thankfully, most of the pirates had partaken of too many spirits, which worked in Ceara’s favor. They spent most of their time fumbling and stumbling over each other. She easily avoided them as she snuck through the piles of supplies, random equipment and shanty huts. Some drew their firearms and started firing wildly. During the commotion, she managed to slip out of the immediate area and down to the campfire.

“Stop right there!” said a voice from behind her. “I don’t know who ye are but yer about 2 shakes from swimmin’ wit da kraken.” She slowly turned towards the pirate.

“Well, time to see if this ‘silver-tongued sylvari’ can still work her magic,” she thought looking down at the pistol he was holding. The other pirates were starting to gather.

“Well what do we have here? A twig lost in the swamp. What happened? Did the big tree not love ye anymore?”

She smiled slyly. “You sad looking lot look like you could use some fun.”

“Hah! You hear that, crew! This pile of leaves is gonna show us some fun!” The other pirates laughed. He reached out to grab her, but she easily spun away and shoved the pirate in the back, pushing him down next to the fire.

“I would watch out for that flame if I were you. You’ve got enough rum on your breath that you might set your innards ablaze. Now who wants to listen to my offer?”

“Offer? What could you possibly offer us?” said one of the crew.

“Judging by your little hovel here, you’ve been stuck on land for a long while. I can get you lot a ship and enough rum and gold to keep you for a lifetime,” she said slyly. A murmur went through the group.

“What is it you want?” they asked.

“I need to get into Lion’s Arch.”

“Yer nuts!” said the one she shoved down, slowly pushing himself up. “No one can get in there. Not after what happened.” She glared down at him. 

“That’s a bold deal, twig. How do we know we can trust you?”

“SCARLET BRIAR!!”

Ceara looked up to see the woman she had knocked out staggering down from the huts pointing at her, her other hand on her aching head. “There!” The crew looked at their comrade.

“Jin, yer out of it. Scarlet Briar is dead. We all saw that blast all the way out here in Bloodtide.”

“No, that’s her! Right there! She’s come back from the dead!”

Ceara closed her eyes and smiled at the irony of the woman’s comment.

“If ye are Scarlet Briar, how did ye survive?”

“Never you worry your pretty little heads,” Ceara laughed playfully. “So tell me, what has your dear Admiral …Tahida is her name?” She smiled again. “What has she done for you? How long has she let you sit here in this muck with no ship? No chance to escape this foul place. Does she even remember you’re here? You get me into Lion’s Arch and I will get you a ship and then you won’t need her anymore.”

“What if we refuse to help?”

“Then you sit here and rot in the marsh,” she said. “So, are you in or not?”

“What do we got ta lose?” one of them said.

“Fine, we’re in.”

“Excellent! Grab whatever gear you need. We leave immediately. I hope you are all ready for the fireworks!” She quipped excitedly. She grabbed up a semblance of a cloak to cover herself with and a piece of fabric akin to a bandit’s scarf to cover her face. 

“Oh, and don’t forget your little asura friend up by your storage hut. I’m sure he is going to have a nasty headache when he wakes up.“ Wrapping herself in the cloak she thought, “I can’t believe they actually fell for this.”

♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

Amaranda entered the Krytan town of Claypool late in the evening. She was starting to tire and decided to try to find a room and get some rest. She noticed a fair amount of soldiers in the area. Cautiously she approached one near the town square.

“Ma'am, there are reports of centaur activity nearby. It would be best for you to get indoors immediately,” he said in a commanding voice before she could even say anything. 

“But sir, I just arrived into town. I have no place to stay. I was hoping to find a room so I could rest.”

“Hmm…Private!” a young soldier rushed over, saluted and stood at attention. “Escort this woman to the inn.”

“Yes sir!” He turned to Amaranda. “Please come with me.” He rushed her to a nearby building. “Innkeeper!” he yelled knocking on the door.

The door opened and a small elderly man appeared. “Yes, soldier?” he asked in a kind voice.

“This sylvari just arrived into town. Can you put her up for the night?”

“Oh yes, of course. Come in, come in.” He stood out of the way as Amaranda walked inside. “Let me, um, let me get the keys to your room.” She noticed he seemed fidgety.

“Kind sir, is everything alright? You seem rather anxious.“

"Oh, it’s just that I hate this nonsense with the centaurs. I don’t understand why they just won’t leave us alone. One moment everything is calm and peaceful, the next the whole town is on alert. It never seems to end.” He reached into a lock box and pulled out a key. “Here it is. Please follow me.”

“Do the centaurs trouble you often?” she asked, following him down a hallway.

“Every time is too often in my opinion. Are you just here for the night?”

“Yes, I am. I will be leaving as soon as possible in the morning for Divinity’s Reach.”

“Oh? Have some business in the big city?” He stopped in front of a door. “Here we are.”

“Yes. I’m looking for a ghost.”

“There are plenty of them there,” he said looking at her over top of his glasses as he unlocked the door.

“I’m looking for a particular one.”

“Well, good luck in your search. An overnight stay will be 1 gold when you leave.” He handed over the key to the room. “Good night.”

Amaranda watched him walk down the hallway for a moment before entering the room. It was a simple dwelling with some shelving and a bed. She lay down on the cotton blanket and spent time pondering her mission.

“What do I do when I find Ceara? IF I find Ceara? Convince her to come back to the Grove?” Sinking into her pillows, her thoughts drifted back to when Ceara was born. Amaranda had been there, and she had felt Ceara’s connection to the Dream was different, distorted like something was affecting it, but she couldn’t figure out what it was. Dwelling on it, she drifted off into sleep.

♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

“Ok, trying to sneak into Lion’s Arch with a rowdy bunch of drunken pirates after I destroyed it may not have been the best idea I have ever had,“ Ceara said as she raced through the debris littered alleys of the city, members of the Lionguard chasing behind her. “But at least they served their purpose. If it wasn’t for that stupid golem, they wouldn’t even know I was here.”

Central Lion’s Arch was designated a “no civilian” zone until the clean up was complete, and she was spotted by a security golem when she entered. “Hopefully they think it’s just some random looter and NOT Scarlet Briar,” she thought.

Zigzagging her way through piles of debris, she dove into an opening and hastily pulled some detritus to close it off and held her breath. She watched the Lionguard run by and breathed a sigh of relief. Pausing for a moment, a poster stuck to a piece of wooden wall section caught her eye. Brushing the dirt away, she saw an image of her own face looking back at her.

“Heh, it’s a wanted poster of little ol’ me.” She smirked a little. “Now I need a plan to get out of here. Not risking my life to find that ghost here. I’ll look in Divinity’s reach, IF I get out of here.” There was an Aetherblade base not too far past the northern part of Lion’s Arch with multiple secret tunnels leading from the base to the city. “If I can reach one of those tunnels, I should be able to make it out.” Her thoughts were cut short by heavy footsteps.

"I heard one of the golems report that it was Scarlet Briar,“ a deep voice said from the road. A charr Lion Guardsman came into view, a charr Vigil soldier next to him. Weapons drawn, they were heading in her direction.

"Oh great. Think, Ceara, think. You can get out of this,” she thought to herself.

"It probably just saw that ghost,“ the Vigil soldier said.

"Hmm?” she thought, listening to the conversation. She held her breath and covered her mouth as the two soldiers neared.

"All that thing does is dance through the streets and laugh every once in a while and then disappears,“ the Lion Guardsman replied. “Almost like it’s taunting us. Whenever we get close, it just vanishes.”

"I don’t think what that golem saw was Scarlet or that ghost. The way I heard that giant machine of hers was destroyed in that blast, there’s no way she could have survived that. It’s probably just some looter. Skritt most likely, looking for something shiny. “

"Skritt aren’t the size of a human or sylvari,” the Guardsman growled.

"Hmph,“ the soldier snorted, “too bad I couldn’t get my hands on the real Scarlet. I’d make her pay slowly for what she did then make a trophy out of her bones with her head as the show piece.” He angrily struck his weapon against the ground. Ceara’s eyes widened and her heart sunk. She looked down at the debris, a wave of sadness passing over her.

"Heh heh, yeah. Would have loved to use her body for target practice on the artillery range. Revenge for giving me this damn cough.“

"Cough? You got the rattle?”

"Yeah, got caught in that poison cloud she released. Managed to get out in time, but some of my team wasn’t so lucky. She got what she deserved though - a one way ticket to the Mists. I hope everyone she killed torments that damn twig forever.“

Ceara closed her eyes. “That wasn’t me,” she whispered, a tear rolling down her cheek. “It was Scarlet. It wasn’t me. I had no control.“ She felt empty for a moment, tears welling up in her eyes as she thought about everything that happened over the past months, the chaos and mayhem she had caused. She still wondered why the Mender saved her life.

“It wasn’t me,” she whispered again, shaking her head. She took a deep breath, trying to regain her composure. Wiping the tears away, she said, “I can’t think about that now. I have work to do.“ She waited for the two soldiers to move on and the area to be clear before attempting to exit her hiding spot.

“Ok, this time watch out for golems.”

♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

Amaranda opened her eyes. She wasn’t in the room. Looking around, she was standing in a dead forest, the wind cold, the air thick with dread. “I’m in the Dream, but.. but what has happened? This must be the corruption Mother and I have sensed,” she said to herself, an uneasy feeling washing over her. She caught movement in the wind out of the corner of her eye. A person? Maybe?

"Amaranda,“ she heard from behind her, footsteps on the dead grass. She turned to see Ceara walking towards her. She had an ethereal glow about her.

"Ceara? What are you doing here? What happened?”

"This is where I ended up when I died,“ she replied, looking around at the forest. “Lovely isn’t it? My own little corner of the Dream. What brings you to my little abode? Surely you’re not here just to say hello?”

"Everything is corrupted and dead. What’s going on?“ Amaranda could see the Dream twisting and distorting around Ceara.

"My dear Amaranda, this is my home now. So I decided to redecorate.” Ceara held her hands out grandly, gesturing to the surrounding forest. “Just look at it. It’s perfect. And what isn’t perfect will soon be made so.”

Amaranda gasped as Ceara slowly turned to look at her. Ceara’s eyes had gone from being their normal bright yellow to the blackest of night. Ceara smiled menacingly. “Won’t you stay and help me redecorate forever?” She held up her hands and ghostly vines sprouted from them.

"No! Get away!“ Amaranda turned to run through the dead trees as a ghostly cackle rang out through the air. The forest seemed to come alive, trying to attack her. She dodged and ducked as much as she could but it became too much. Her ankles were wrapped in vines and she was dragged back to where her maniacal sister stood. Ceara slowly approached her as the vines hoisted her upside down in the air.

"It’s not very nice to just leave your host so abruptly, my dear. You should be more considerate.” Ceara walked up to her and stood face to face. “The Mother Tree always said you had the strongest connection to the Dream out of all her children. Let’s find out why?” Ceara raised her hand up to Amaranda’s face, her long thorn tipped fingers just inches from Amaranda’s eyes when she was suddenly knocked off her feet by an unseen force. The vines holding Amaranda loosened and she fell to the ground.

Amaranda opened her eyes. She was lying on the bed in the room, shaken by the dream she had. “Was that Ceara?“ she thought. “Mother said she was still alive, and if so, who or what was that thing?” Someone knocked on the door, startling her.

"Hey, you ok in there?“ It was the elderly innkeeper. Amaranda looked at the window. The sun was up. She rushed over to the door and opened. “I was wondering if…” Amaranda shoved the key and some coins into his hand.

"I’m sorry. I have to be off immediately. Thank you for your hospitality.“ She ran out of the inn. “I’ve got to get to Divinity’s Reach right now,” she thought. “I hope I’ll find my answers there.”

♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

Sneaking around the outer perimeter of the no civilian zone in Lions Arch, Ceara managed to find a sewer entrance that hadn’t been covered in debris that would lead her to a tunnel to the Aetherblade base. The tunnel was pitch black, her own bioluminescence the only light she could see. Placing her hand on the wall, she cautiously followed the tunnel until it ended at a ladder. Looking up the ladder she could see a grate with some light beyond.

"Well, here we go,“ she sighed as she began her climb. Reaching the top, she pushed against the grate which gave way after a couple shoves. She climbed out and looked around; focusing her eyes she could see she was in some kind of pit. Rock walls on both sides and large pipes running along the walls and into the ground. Climbing out, she could tell she was in a small hanger, big enough to house one airship.

"I remember this place,” she said to herself. “I’m surprised the Lionguard or the Pact hasn’t demolished it. I guess they don’t know it’s here. Well, time to see if anything, or anyone, is here.”

She walked to the back of the hanger and found the control console, a mix of asuran technology and engineering of her own creation. She went through the start up sequence and the console sputtered to life. “Well, that’s refreshing. At least it still works.”

She powered up some of the lights in the hanger just enough to be able to see clearly. She heard something scamper across the floor behind her. She turned and stood stunned. Along the side of the hanger was a large pile of random items and junk. “Skritt…” she said to herself. She walked over to the massive pile of debris, the sound of her boots against the steel floor echoing through the hanger. Looking over the pile, she saw pieces of street lights, windows, sheets of metal, furniture, and even a familiar poster. “Oh look, there’s me again,” she smirked, pulling a wanted poster from the heap. It had been torn in half.

"Do you like that one? You can have it. It’s not shiny enough,“ a scratchy gruff voice said from behind some random bits of metal.

"Come out so I can see you,” she demanded. A lone skritt walked out from behind the rubble. “Are you the only one here?”

"No, no of course not. Many skritt here. Make this our home, yes. Take material from destroyed city to make our home.“

"I see that. How did you get all of this in here?” she asked, looking over the pile.

"Skritt take at night. Through many tunnels. ’

"And you don’t get caught?“

"Sometimes catch us. But skritt is fast. Yes. Burrow under the ground.

"I see. Anyway, no, I have no use for the poster.” She tossed it back on the pile. “Have you seen anyone else in here? Or is it just you skritt?”

"No, no one else. Maybe behind locked door.“

"Locked door? Where?”

"I show you, yes. Come.“ The skritt ran to a flight of stairs at the end of the hanger. At the top of the stairs was a large door with a keypad lock. Ceara stopped and smiled. She knew what this was. She punched in a code into the keypad and the door unlocked. Turning the large latch, the door slid open easily. Inside was a room that she specially designed just for her. Asuran tech lined the walls. A giant monitor and control panels. Even the defense mechanism still stood at the ready.

"AAAAAHHHHHHH!!!” the skritt gasped. “SO SHINY!!!!” as the lights from all the equipment met his eyes. Ceara grabbed him by the back of the neck and spun him around.

"If you even so much as set a toe into this room, I will be selling your hide as a hat at the market in Hoelbrak. Do you understand?“ she hissed, staring him right in the eyes.

"Yes, yes!” the skritt said nervously. She let him go and he scampered off. She walked in and latched the door behind her.

"First order of business,“ she thought as she moved to a trunk in the corner of the room. Opening it she found a slew of Aetherblade weapons she had stored there during the time when her mind wasn’t her own. She held up an Aetherblade rifle. “My favorite for a time…” She paused staring blankly at the wall, a flood of memories flowing through her mind. “All those things I did. All those people I hurt.” A tear rolled down her cheek. Deeply sighing she sat on a seat with her back against the wall, staring at the far wall. “I should have just run away. From everybody and everything. But that voice. That monster. It wouldn’t let me.” Closing her eyes, trying to fight back the tears as she felt empty again. “Why did you save me, Mender? Was it really worth saving my life? Am I worth it?” She couldn’t fight the tears any longer. She lay down and buried her face in her arms, crying herself to sleep.

♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

Amaranda arrived at Divinity’s Reach mid afternoon. She entered through the main gate and the capitol city of the human kingdom of Kryta seemed to stretch forever. She had visited the city once before when she was a young sapling, taking in its wonders at the time, but it proved to be overwhelming to the young sylvari and she never returned. Now here she was once again, staring at the cobblestone streets lined with vendors peddling their wares, humans walking about in their daily business. Even children running around freely playing. She approached the nearby guard station. It was manned by two Seraph soldiers. One of them, a large man with some grey in his hair, stepped out of the station.

"How can I help you, Miss?“ he said, jolly and friendly.

"Kind sir, could you tell me have there been any ghost sightings within the city lately?” she asked. He smiled at her.

“Well, Miss, never a day goes by without someone reporting a ghost somewhere in the city. Why this morning, I had two little girls tell me they had seen the ghosts of old Mrs.Waters’s cats, climbing up the tree outside of their house,“ he chuckled. Amaranda’s face went sour.

"I’m looking for a specific ghost. Maybe you have seen it?” she asked.

"Well, I’m going to need more to go on than that.“

"I’m looking for the ghost of Scarlet Briar,” she said sternly. The guard’s face fell serious. He turned and looked at his partner sitting inside the station.

"No, we haven’t seen that,“ he said, and she immediately knew he was lying. “Why are you looking for the ghost of Scarlet Briar?” he asked, a tinge of suspicion in his voice.

"The Pale Tree asked me to investigate it, to try to learn what it is exactly.“ She said.

“You would be better off going to Captain Thackeray’s office and asking for help there,” the guard in the shack said, his voice losing much of its friendliness.

“Oh? Where might I find the office?’ Amaranda asked.

"It’s located in the palace courtyard.“ The guard pointed towards a walkway that inclined towards the center of the city.

"I thank you.”

She started up the path, taking in the sights and sound of the city. “Everyone is so busy here it seems,” she thought. She found herself at the top of the walkway in front of the entrance to the palace courtyard, pausing for a moment to listen to a group of minstrels playing a playful tune. As she entered into the hall she froze. A feeling of dread washed over her. Something was here, something dark and powerful. She turned and looked back at the people outside, who went about their daily lives seemingly oblivious to the dark energy that was emanating from within the palace entrance. The sound of ghostly playful laughter echoed through the hall, and then silence. Total silence. Everything was still. She felt as if ice was closing around her heart. Never in her life had she felt such evil. Not even with the Nightmare Court.

“Ceara?” she asked quietly as she slowly made her way through the hall, a cold wind lightly blowing past her. Entering into the courtyard, she knew she was being watched. She looked around cautiously.

"Excuse me, Miss?“ a voice rang out. Startled, Amaranda jumped back. It was another guardsman. “Are you ok? You seem lost.” She took a moment to catch her breath.

"Yes, I…I’m fine,“ she replied.

"Do you need any help?”

"Can you tell me where Captain Thackeray’s office is located?“

"Sure, but the Captain is away on matters for the Queen. Is there something I might be able to help you with?”

"I was told that the office might be able to help me find what I’m looking for.“

"Hmm, ok,” he said, slightly disgruntled. “Follow me.” He started walking through the courtyard. Amaranda followed, looking around at the scenery.

"It’s very nice here,“ she said uneasily. “And very quiet.”

"It is indeed. It takes quite a bit of work to keep the garden in order.“ They walked up to a large set of wooden doors. "Here you are. I’m sure someone inside will be able to help you.”

"I thank you,“ she said to him as she entered.

♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

Ceara arrived at the village of Shaemoor after the sun had set. She had slept longer in the Aetherblade base than she had wanted to, waking midday. She decided to try her luck and travel during the sunlight hours, staying off the roads as much as possible, and staying away from any settlements. Now standing in the shadows, she could see the main gate to Divinity’s Reach in the distance, the great wall surrounding the city was peppered with small lights around the upper edge. 

"This is not going to be easy,” she thought. Keeping to the shadows, she threaded her way through the nearby graveyard to the base of the wall. She reached in one of the small satchels in her armor and pulled out a small electronic device. It was a small teleportation unit and stealth field generator. She remembered designing and building it months ago using stolen asuran technology.

"Hopefully this thing still works or…well, I don’t know what might happen.“ She pressed one of the buttons and the machine hummed to life. She could see through her hands which meant the field was working.

"Score one for me,” she said. “Now to get over this wall.” She pointed the device at a low roof and pressed another button. In a flash of light she appeared on the roof.

"Score another one for me,“ she whispered to herself, pausing for a moment. She caught the smell of smoke coming from the device as it shorted out.

"Thorns,” she cursed. “I guess I’m sneaking around the old fashioned way.” Cautiously she climbed down and was inside the city wall.

"Now if I were me, where would I be?“ she giggled to herself about the rhyme. "Well, obviously I would be in the palace, but I don’t think I’m welcome there these days. Hmm…There was that little stunt I pulled at the pavilion. I think I’ll start there.”

♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

It had been hours since Amaranda left the Seraph office, and the only information she could get from the Seraph was that the Pavilion was where the apparition was seen most frequently. She searched around the upper Pavilion, and the surrounding areas of the Western Commons and the Ossan Quarter. Sadly, there was nothing to be seen, except for the random citizens going about their daily lives and the few Watchknights standing guard over the Pavilion. She wasn’t even feeling anything out of the ordinary from the Dream. Still, she couldn’t let her guard down. She had to keep her mind sharp in the event that Ceara or whatever that thing was she saw in the Dream appeared. She kept thinking about what happened in her dream and what happened when she entered the palace grounds. Traveling back to the Western Commons she started to feel uneasy, like she was being watched again. But this time it wasn’t something ethereal. Looking around, the street seemed empty and a light mist was setting in.

“Amaranda? What is she doing here?” Ceara thought to herself, spying the Sylvari from the shadows of an alleyway. “I’m sure Mother sent you.” She thought back to the voice she had heard in her mind months ago.

“Come home, my child.”

She stood in thought for a few minutes.

"Maybe I should…No, I can’t.“ Ceara was still determined to forge her own life away from the bindings of the Dream and the Pale Tree. "I have to be my own sylvari, walk my own path.” She turned her attention back to Amaranda who was walking towards the area where Ceara was hiding.

"She’s searching for something.“ Ceara’s eyes narrowed. "Me? The ghost?”

Amaranda paused suddenly. “It’s here” she said to herself as a cool breeze lightly blew down the street. She scanned the area as she cautiously walked, searching everywhere, high and low. Something grabbed her.

“WAAAAAA!!!” she screamed as she was pulled by the arm and yanked into an alleyway. She was forced up against a wall, an armored arm across her chest. She reached for her dagger, but it was knocked away. She looked at her assailant but all of its face was covered. 

"What do you want with me!?“ She asked in a huff. Ceara removed her goggles and scarf, revealing her face. Amaranda’s eye widen in fear. She panicked.

"YOU!” she screamed. “STAY AWAY FROM ME!!” Ceara grabbed Amaranda’s arm as she attempted to scramble away. “LET ME GO!! HELP!! HEL..” Ceara put her hand over Amaranda’s mouth.

"Will you shut up!“ Ceara whispered. "You’ll bring the whole Seraph down on top of us and all this will be for naught!” Ceara breathed deeply. “Now, Amaranda, I’m going to assume that Mother sent you here to convince me to return to the Grove, or you’re looking for this so called ‘ghost’, or both, right?” Amaranda nodded her head slowly. “Now I’m going to remove my hand and if you make even the slightest peep, I’m going to stuff you in a…” Ceara paused, stunned.

"Nightmares come when shadows grow,“ a voice sang out in the distance. It was her own voice, yet ghostly and ethereal. Ceara looked at Amaranda. Amaranda was looking at her, her eyes wide. They both heard it. It was getting closer. Peaking out from behind the wall they were hiding behind, they saw it. Dancing whimsically down the street was the ghostly image of Ceara herself, pale white as can be, thorns protruding from her jet black hair, and the blackest eyes. It passed by the alley they were in, lightly singing to itself, seemingly oblivious to the onlookers.

"Oh, my minions! I can’t wait to attend the Queen’s Jubilee. It’s going to be ever so much fun!” it spoke excitedly, stopping in the middle of the street. “I can’t wait to show you all how explosive it’s going to be!” It gestured to an unseen crowd and continued on before stopping at an empty book cart. Ceara and Amaranda stepped out onto the sidewalk to watch it. The ghost seemed focused on a pile of nonexistent books.

"How can anyone read this rubbish? So droll. None of this even compares to everything we learned in the Eternal Alchemy, right…Ceara?“ A chill ran down Ceara’s spine. The ghost slowly turned its head towards them.

"Oh Ceara! There you are! How I missed you!” it said excitedly. “I missed all the fun we had together. I was so sad and lonely when you died! But…you’re not dead! You’re here now! Oh what great fortune father has showered on me this night. And you brought a friend! Oh how I love a party!”

Ceara stood shocked. “Father?” She looked puzzled for a moment.

"Oh yes, our father. He called to you from the forest. He spoke to you in the Eternal Alchemy. Remember? He brought us together! So we could set him free!“ Ceara remembered the bodiless voice that plagued her dreams and controlled her mind.

"The dragon,” she said lowly. She looked at Amaranda who was transfixed on the spirit.

"It..it’s her…“ Amaranda sputtered. "So much chaotic energy. She’s causing the corruption of the Dream.” Ceara looked back at the spirit.

"What are you?“ she asked. The spirit looked shocked, its black eyes widening in disbelief.

"My dear Ceara, have you forgotten me already? It’s me, Scarlet. Oh those nasty heroes must have affected your mind somehow. I can help you fix that! Won’t you come with me to the Jubilee! We’re going to have so much fun together again!”

The spirit held out a ghostly hand to Ceara. She looked down at it, then at Amaranda, then back at the ghost. A large sinister grin grew over the spirit’s face. “Father would love to have us all back together.” Scarlet turned to Amaranda, sneering. “And I haven’t forgotten about you, Seer.” She snarled. “That was a neat trick the Mother Tree pulled while we were in the Dream. You won’t be so lucky next time.” She looked back at Ceara. “Now, shall we?” She disappeared in a cloud of mist, her laughter echoing through the street.

Amaranda looked at Ceara. “That…was that… Scarlet Briar?” Ceara nodded lightly standing in silence. “So much…hate….evil.”

Ceara looked at Amaranda. “Am I…always that chatty?” Amaranda shrugged. “Well, let’s go.” Ceara pulled her cloak up and started walking. Amaranda sighed heavily and walked beside her.

They reached the southern entrance to the Crown Pavilion. It was deathly quiet. The only sound heard was the low whirl of the Watchknights’s movements.

"I won’t be able to get in very far,“ Ceara said.

"Why not?” Amaranda asked.

"Do you hear that noise? It’s the Watchknights. I’m sure the Queen has had them modified to kill me on sight after that little episode I pulled at the Jubilee.“ Ceara paused for a moment lost in thought.

"Ceara?”

"Except….it wasn’t me,“ she said softly, "it was her, it…whatever it is. It controlled me. I wanted out, wanted to escape, but I couldn’t. It wouldn’t let go.” Ceara started rambling.

"Hey!“ Amaranda said grabbing Ceara by the shoulder. "I’m not exactly sure what’s going on, but right now we need to focus, I need you to focus, on the task at hand. Ok?” Ceara paused a moment and gave her a slight smile.

"Ok,“ she said, nodding. "Now, we have to get in there. Somehow.”

"Look!“ Amaranda whispered. She pointed to the canopy of the pavilion. Scarlet had appeared on the top of it.

"Where are you, Ceara?” Scarlet yelled playfully. “I know you are out there! I don’t want you to miss my show! Perhaps afterwards we can go visit Lord Faren! You remember how much you liked him!?” Ceara thought back to the Jubilee. She had placed a nearly naked Lord Faren in a cauldron and proceeded to try to torture him through boiling. She smiled slightly and looked at Amaranda, who was looking at her with the most deadpan face Ceara had ever seen.

"What?“ Ceara asked.

"I cannot believe you are thinking about Lord Faren,” Amaranda protested.

"What? No! I wasn’t…“ Amaranda raised a finger to Ceara’s face, cutting off her sentence.

"You’re still as disturbing as ever,” Amaranda said in a huff. 

“Please don’t let that nasty Seer drive a wedge between us, keeping us apart! We can be together forever again!” Scarlet continued.

"I’m here… Scarlet,“ Ceara yelled back. The ghost turned her attention toward the duo.

"Ah! You made it just in time for the fireworks! You’re both going to love what I have planned! Please come closer! The guards won’t attack you. I’ve made sure of that!” A chill washed over Ceara.

"What does that mean?“ Amaranda asked.

"It means she’s taken control of the Watchknights, again. And if they are anything like last time I was here, we’ll be in the Mists before we know it.” Ceara cautiously stepped into the Pavilion, keeping a watchful on the nearby Watchknights. They didn’t seem to take notice.

"The guards seem to be glowing,“ Amaranda said softly. Ceara focused her attention on the closest WatchKnight. She could see a faint ethereal glow emanating from it, just enough to be noticeable. 

"I see it,” she said.

"Come, my dears. I have saved special seats for you front and center. The duo slowly approached the guardrail around the large pit in the center of the Pavilion. Below lay the multiple arenas used for the Queens Jubilee celebration.

"Behold, isn’t it lovely?“ Scarlet said, holding her hands out in front of her, the sounds of combat, screaming, and chaos started pouring from the arena. Peering over the edge, Ceara gasped at the activity below. Rampant chaos engulfed the arena. She saw the heroes that stopped her on the Breachmaker. She saw herself in multiple places around the arena. She realized it was the Jubilee from months ago, playing out again.

"She’s calling up images of the past,” Amaranda stated. “So much chaos.”

"What are you doing!?“ Ceara shouted at Scarlet.

"So much chaos we sowed together, my dear Ceara. You were so full of energy and hate. It fed me,” Scarlet said calmly. “Now, watch out for the fireworks!” A blast of white light erupted from the arena, blinding them, knocking the pair to the ground. As the light faded, Ceara regained her vision; she could see Scarlet still standing on the canopy. Amaranda shook her head and looked at the specter, her eyes wide.

"She…she absorbed all that energy…“

"What? What do you mean?” Ceara asked.

“She pulled the echoes of the celebration from the Dream. All the chaos, it left a…almost like an energy imprint. That’s why…” Amaranda stopped mid-sentence, thinking for a moment. “That’s why she appears wherever you have been in the past. Kessex, Lions Arch, here. Every place you created mayhem, she has appeared. Gathering all the traces of chaotic energy.” 

Ceara thought for a moment. “Lornar’s Pass at the marionette…”

“The Seer is very observant. I kinda like her,” Scarlet said.

"So why are you doing this? What’s your plan?“ Ceara asked.

"Why, my Dear, to make Father more powerful.”

Ceara stood stunned. “She’s going to feed that power to the dragon.” Amaranda gasped.

"Oh yes, Seer. But this is just the beginning.“ Scarlet held out her hand. "You see, bigger things await.” Ceara grabbed her rifle and fired multiple rounds at Scarlet. Scarlet laughed as the bullets passed through her, her laughter echoing off the walls of the Pavilion. “Did you forget I’m just a spirit, dear Ceara?” Scarlet brought a hand up and closed it into a fist. The duo suddenly heard the whirl of machinery come to life. Turning they saw the Watchknights marching towards them.

"Thorns!“ Ceara cursed. "Run! Get out of here!” They bolted for the nearest gate. Amaranda ducked through the guards as best she could, Ceara right behind her. “Please don’t leave me again, Ceara!”

Scarlet laughed menacingly. Ceara felt something wrap around her leg and pull her back, causing her to fall. She turned over to see a ghostly tendril dragging her back into the Pavilion. She clawed at the sidewalk, trying to resist. “It’s not nice to attack your family, Ceara.” Scarlet hissed as she appeared on the walkway. Ceara pulled up her rifle and fired at Scarlet, the rounds passing through the ghost once again. Scarlet raised her hand and swiped it to the side in front of her. Vines wrapped around the rifle, yanking it from Ceara’s hands and crushing it. More grabbed her arms and legs, hoisting her into the air in front of Scarlet.

"Now dear sister,“ Scarlet spat as she reached out with her hand, her long thorn tipped fingers phasing into Ceara’s chest, "now it’s time for us to be together again. Just as before, just the way Father wanted it” Her voice chilled the air and sent shivers through Ceara and Amaranda. Ceara screamed as darkness surrounded her heart, she felt the same intrusion into her mind that she had felt in the Eternal Alchemy.

"No,“ Ceara whimpered. "No…Not again…” Scarlet smiled sinisterly.

"Oh yes, dear sister.“ Scarlet paused. She let out an anguished gasp and grabbed at her chest. She stepped back, a look of pain and surprise on her face. "What…What did you do to me?”

"I hope…I hope you burn… in the Mists.“ Ceara glared at her, trying to catch her breath. She mustered up enough strength to spit at her. 

Scarlet’s face turned sour. "Then I will see you there,” she growled as she brought her hand up and a rift opened behind Ceara.

"No!“ Ceara breathed trying to turn her head to look behind her. Amaranda turned just in time to see Ceara pulled through the rift. Scarlet closed her eyes as it sealed shut.

"Such a waste,” she said softly. After a moment she opened her eyes and fixed her gaze on Amaranda.

"Pale moth….“ Amaranada’s thoughts were cut off.

"You can’t run, Amaranda,” she heard in her mind. “Mordremoth will rule you all. He will rule all of Tyria!” Her voice became louder almost thunderous. “The Mother Tree will not be able to stand against him. She will not be able to protect you any longer. He will devour the Dream, he will conquer the Mists, and all that is existence will be his! Give up your hope, align yourself with him and he may show you mercy! Open your mind and let me show you!" 

Amaranda covered her ears and screamed. She felt herself falling to the ground, the last thing she saw was a group of Seraph soldiers approaching before her vision faded to black.


	3. My Name Isn't Ceara...

_Sometimes the past won't let go_

Scarlet appeared in the Dream, collapsing to the ground. “That was stupid of me. What was I thinking sending her to the Mists like that. I need her. In Tyria.” She slowly got to her feet, steadying herself. “I haven’t felt this weak since that day I was stabbed on the Breachmaker.” She smiled, chuckling to herself. “Actually, that wasn’t really me, right Ceara? That was you.” She paused, thinking back to that moment she separated herself from Ceara. When she manifested herself for the first time outside of Ceara’s mind. She thought Ceara was as good as dead right there on the floor of the command center of the Breachmaker. “What an exciting time that was! Such a defining moment!” she thought back to that day…

The sun shone over Lion’s Arch. The people of the city went about their daily lives, merchants peddling their wares, sailors loading and unloading supplies at the docks. A quiet serene day. The Captains Council had been warned ahead of time that Scarlet would attack the city, but they scoffed at the notion, claiming it was just another empty threat. How wrong they would be.

“Playtime’s over. Commence the attack!” Scarlet commanded. Aetherblade airships appeared out of nowhere in the sky above the city. They wasted no time opening fire on the unsuspecting populace down below. They’re first targets were the asura gates. Destroying them made sure no reinforcements could make a quick entrance into the city. After that, they laid waste to the city center. Scarlet’s ground troops invaded from every direction, even from underground. Her newly improved Watchknights spread poison gas, derived from the spores that she collected from the giant plant in Kessex Hills, throughout the city. The gas would kill anyone who breathed it in a matter of hours. Any survivors who were found were killed on sight. Standing on an observation deck at the edge of the Breachmaker, she laughed maniacally as she watched the mayhem unfold below. 

“So, the heroes thought they had found an antitoxin to my spores? My spies served me well in delivering it to me,” she said to herself. “This new version is now far more resistant to any cure they can come up with.” Once the troops had secured the city, they gave her the signal. 

“It’s go time,” she said, marching back to the command center. The Breachmaker, the greatest engineering feat she had ever constructed, descended from the sky into Sanctum Harbor, itss giant drill piercing the bedrock below at the exact point where the leyline probe had found the largest nexus in the network. At the control console, Scarlet raced through a sequence of shouted commands while she operated various controls. 

“Magnetic balancers activated. Gyros are active? What about the backup gyros? We don’t want to be wobbling when we start up.” 

"Yes Madam! All gyros are online!”

“Check alignment on the bit. It didn’t bend when we landed, did it?”

“Bit is reading perfectly straight!”

“Excellent. What are the aether readings around the bit? Are we reading anything from the leyline? 

"Very little energy at current, Madam.”

“Hmm, that’ll change once we start drilling. All safety locks off? All hands clear? Well it doesn’t matter anyway. If you get caught in the gears, serves you right.” she said smiling. 

“Everything is green, Madam!”

“Good!” Scarlet pulled a lever on the console. The sound of machinery activating filled the air. The drill slowly started spinning, boring into the earth below the harbor. She walked out to the ledge of the Breachmaker, looking over the ruined city. “This is the moment we’ve all been waiting for.” she thought to herself, a sly smile spreading across her face. Scarlet knew she had to work quickly. She knew the Lionguard and its allies would waste no time launching a counterattack to try to take back the city. 

“Activate defenses. We don’t need any unwanted pests on board.”

“Right away, Madam!" 

Days went by as the Breachmaker slowly churned its way through the bedrock. Scarlet was getting restless. The wind had shifted and blown the toxic gas out to sea. She knew a counterattack was imminent. 

"Keep all troops on alert,” she commanded. “The Lionguard will be coming.” She was correct; it wasn’t long before the counterattack began. With keen focus and precision, the Lionguard and its allies, led by the dragon slayer, systematically retook the city. Scarlet knew that if they reached the Breachmaker, she would have to fight to the death to see her plan to completion. She had worked too hard to pull this all together and spent too much time to see it unravel now. 

“Madam Scarlet! Intruders on the upper deck!” The heroes had arrived. 

“No! Stop them at all costs!” she shouted. She knew she had no choice but to attack them directly. Armed with her latest tech and weapons, she met them outside the command center. She did all she could to stop them, conjuring holographic clones of herself to fight the group that stood before her and using every trick she had to hold them off until the Breachmaker hit its mark, but it wasn’t enough. The heroes finally overwhelmed her and she had to retreat. Wounded, she managed to fight her way back into the command center, and sealed the door behind her. 

“I’ve got to finish this…I’ve got to keep the drill going…” she said to herself as she staggered to the controls. She fell before she could make it. Crawling across the floor, she managed to drag herself into the entrance to the control area, hopefully to block any access to the drill controls. That’s when the door busted open. 

“Look at all you heroes. I guess now you’ll shackle me in cuffs and haul me off to jail?” she spat. She knew she was done for, she just had to hold them off a little longer. Defiant to the end, she used the last of her arsenal to buy a few more minutes. The dragon slayer managed to shrug off her attacks, and ran Scarlet through. She coughed up blood as she spat her last words at the heroes. Just then the Breachmaker hit the leyline and started shaking. The heroes quickly evacuated, leaving Scarlet behind. As she lay on the floor gasping for air, she smiled. 

“We had a lot of fun together, Ceara, but it’s now time for me to go. I’ll miss you dearly, but my work is not done. The Dream awaits! Say hello to everyone in the Mists for me! Ta-ta!” Ceara felt the madness slip from her mind as the leyline energy exploded up through the center of the giant machine. 

“It seemed so long ago.” Scarlet smiled, her thoughts returning to the present. “The grand scheme did work out in the end, didn’t it Ceara?” she thought, smiling. She had succeeded in her plan to awaken the elder dragon Mordremoth, whom she had come to call her father after learning that the sylvari were his creation. 

Her thoughts briefly turned to the sylvari firstborn Caithe.“Your secret is out in the open now, isn’t it Caithe?” She knew Caithe held a dark secret that could change the sylvari forever if it was ever revealed, and now Scarlet knew it. Caithe knew that the sylvari were created by Mordremoth, that when he awoke, he would try to exert his will over them and the Pale Tree. She tried to hold that over Caithe, to make her a little pawn, but Caithe was elusive. Scarlet realized quickly that trying to control Caithe would be extremely dangerous and quickly abandoned the notion. 

“Not all plans are meant to be fulfilled.” She looked off into the distance, she could feel Mordremoth’s presence in the Dream. She knew the Pact Forces of Tyria would mobilize to attack him, to try to slay him at all costs, as they did the elder undead dragon Zhaitan before. She couldn’t let that happen…after all, it was he that had awakened her in the Eternal Alchemy. That moment…when she realized who she was…

“Come closer, my child…” a voice boomed from everywhere around Ceara.

“What? Who’s there!?”

“I am your creator.”

“Creator? I was born from the Pale Tree…”

“And the Pale Tree was born from me…come, young one, let me show you the truth…”

Ceara continued to gaze into the abyss within the Eternal Alchemy. She could hear the dark voice clearly. It stared back at her. The more she looked, the more she could feel it reaching into her mind, reaching into a part of her psyche she didn’t know existed. It showed her visions, death, destruction. She felt her own will slipping away as what she saw was taking control. 

Omadd, an older asura, watched as Ceara thrashed about inside the isolation chamber, seemingly out of control. He had constructed a machine that would let one view the Eternal Alchemy, the very fabric of reality. Days earlier he had asked Ceara if she would like to be his test subject for the machine, of which she delightfully agreed. After all, the Eternal Alchemy was the main subject of her study during her time at Rata Sum. Now she would get a chance to view it first hand. He warned her that it might alter or damage her mind, maybe even kill her. 

“I’m not worried about that. This is the chance of a lifetime!” she said. She climbed into the isolation chamber and laid down on the table. He strapped her down securely. 

“Are you sure about this?” he asked her after placing the headpiece on her. 

“Absolutely!” she quipped excitedly. “It’s not everyday you get a chance to study the workings of life itself!" 

"Very well. We’re about to begin.” he said as he slid the glass lid closed over her. 

“At long last I’m going to see it. I’m going to see the Eternal Alchemy itself,” she said, smiling to herself. Omadd exited the machine, making his way over to the control panel. He went through a series of checks to make sure everything was perfect. Once satisfied, he looked over at one of his assistants and gave a small nod. The assistant pushed a button and the machine started up. Energy raced through Ceara’s mind. She gritted her teeth as she was thrust into another realm - the Eternal Alchemy. Omadd breathed a heavy sigh. He didn’t tell her that his previous two assistants that agreed to try to view the Eternal Alchemy had died. 

She had been inside the machine for roughly 3 days while he kept a steady monitor on her vital signs. Her heart rate kept spiking, her body temperature fluctuated up and down constantly. Omadd was starting to grow concerned when she finally stopped moving. As he slowly approached the isolation chamber, he could see she was smiling. Suddenly she sat up, breaking the restraints that held her on the table, and crashing through the glass canopy. She was gasping for air, seemingly trying to catch her breath. He ordered one of his assistants to shut down the machine and raced over to her. 

“Careful, there is broken glass everywhere,” He warned her. “Don’t move until I get the canopy moved out of the way.” He cautiously undid the latch and slowly moved the shattered door away from her. He reached up and removed the headpiece from Ceara’s face. She opened her eyes, and held up her hands up, looking at them. A look of bewildering amazement on her face. She was laughing, almost hysterically. 

“Ceara? What did you see?” he asked. She stopped laughing and looked at him for a moment. 

“My name… isn’t Ceara. My name…” she looked around the lab, and laughed to herself. Omadd’s other assistants, looking on from a distance, were obviously cautiously curious about what was happening. “Scarlet. My name….my name is now Scarlet Briar.” She turned to him smiling somewhat sinisterly, still seemingly trying to catch her breath. Omadd was apprehensive. 

“Ok…please Scarlet, tell me, what did you see?" 

"Everything,” she replied, exasperated by his petty question.

“Kill him quickly,” a voice spoke through Scarlet’s mind. Omadd never got his answer. 

“My dear mentor, thank you for teaching me everything you know. It was an honor to be your student and your assistant,” she said. “But now, as every good student does, I must leave you and travel out into the world and put the knowledge you have so graciously instilled into me to good use for the plans that I have. It seems we sylvari are destined for greater things. To enjoy a world that you’re not really a part of anymore.” Scarlet left the lab, leaving Omadds and his lab assistants bloody corpses hanging from the ceiling. 

“I have much work to do. It’s going to be so much fun!” Scarlet said to herself as she danced lightly off into the night. 

Scarlet smiled at the memory. “Ceara…” Scarlet thought to herself, holding her hand up. A misty ghostly appearance of Ceara appeared in her palm. “You were so resistant to me at first. You fought so hard to maintain control. But in the end, you gave in.” She smiled. “And everything turned out ok, didn’t it!? Well…except for that little mishap in Lion’s Arch where they almost killed you. But we had fun together. Lots and lots of fun.” Her laughter echoing through the dead trees. She thought back to the time that Ceara sought out help from the Menders in the Grove. To try to figure out what was happening. It was no use though. “They tried to find me in your head, my dear, and I was right in front of them all along.” Scarlet said, smiling to herself. “Hidden from them right out…in…the… open.” she said playfully, gently poking at the image of Ceara. 

“These voices…I keep hearing them…” Ceara thought to herself sitting at a work table. It was late at night and she hadn’t slept very much over the past few days. “I don’t know how much longer I can take this." 

"You will awaken me. And through you, I will rule all.” a voice boomed through her head. Ceara whimpered, placing her hands over her ears.

“No…leave me be." 

"You are mine. All of you!” the voice roared. She could feel whatever it was in her mind. She grimaced at the pain, a tear running down her face. 

“Leave me alone, please.” Breathing deeply, the pain slowly subsided. “I need help. I’m going to have to return to the Grove. Consult with the Menders there.” She grabbed a bag and started packing her things. “I was hoping I would never have to return to that infernal place. Under the watch of Mother every single step of our lives. She’s too possessive of us. She should let all sylvari choose their own path in life, not make some preordained fate for them.” She closed her eyes, shaking her head. “Most of them can’t even comprehend what it means to be free from her yoke. Don’t they know there is a whole world out there for us?” She paused for a moment staring at the wall, slightly smiling. “Maybe we can make her see the errors of her ways! Maybe…maybe we can bend her to our will!” She started laughing, then suddenly stopped. She was shaking, breathing heavily. “What…what was that? That wasn’t me…” She quickly finished packing her things and ran off heading to the Grove. 

“Ceara. It’s been years since you’ve left. What brings you back to the Grove?” Mender Deheune said.

“My name …” She started saying through her teeth, but she cut herself off, shaking her head. She took a deep breath and tried to regain her composure. “I need your help, Mender. For months I’ve been plagued with terrible nightmares. A voice calls to me, torments me no matter how much I run. I see visions…death, torment, destruction.” she closed her eyes and rubbed her forehead. “In my waking hours I hear it in the trees, on the wind…in my mind. I can’t escape it. Sometimes I think it’s just that I’ve been working too much, pushing myself beyond my limits." 

"You always were one to work non stop until you were literally falling over asleep once you latched onto something, if I remember correctly.” He went over to a table and started mixing something together in a cup. 

“Well, yes. It’s what I do. 

"The search for knowledge never ends, does it.”

“Never. I want to learn as much as I can." 

"But sleep deprivation can and will kill you if you aren’t careful.” He finished what he was doing and walked back over to her. “Now let me check…” He went to reach up to her face, but she smacked his hands away. 

“DO NOT LET HIM TOUCH YOU,” a voice roared in her head. Ceara was on the verge of panic.

“I…I’m sorry. I just…” she stammered. 

“It’s ok,” the mender said. “Just…calm down. You’re safe here. I’m not going to touch you. Just be still.” He leaned in and looked at her eyes.

“But he isn’t safe…if he reaches for you again, make him pay…messily.”

“Hmm…we’ll have to do some testing. You’ll have to stay here for awhile.”

“How long, Mender? I have important work that needs to be done.” she asked, rather agitated. 

“Until we can find out what is going on. But first you need to get some rest. Here, drink this. It’ll help you sleep.” She took the cup from him. The drink gave off a sweet aroma that filled the air. 

“The menders cannot help you. No one can help you. You belong to him.”

“Stop talking!” she said angrily. 

“Excuse me?” the mender asked, turning towards her. Ceara looked up at him, stunned. 

“It’s…it’s nothing. I’m sorry.” She brought a hand up covering her face, rubbing her eyes. She paused before drinking the elixir, knowing what waited for her during her sleeping hours. She took a deep breath and downed it. 

“Pale mother!” her face turned sour. She was almost gagging. 

“No good medicine ever tasted nice,” Deheune said, kindly. “Now get some rest. We’ll continue in the morning." She laid down, waiting for the nightmares to start anew.

Ceara found herself a grassy plain, the air thick with the sounds of battle. In the distance she could see people fighting. She started running towards it, but the more she ran, the farther away it seemed to be. Suddenly the ground before erupted, knocking her to the ground. Long spindly vines seemed to come from everywhere, twisting and snaking their way through the air. Quickly they formed into some kind of creatures, plant creatures the likes of which she had never seen before. They had her surrounded. The creatures in front of her parted, and another walked up to her. Brandishing a blade, this one was different from the rest. 

"My master commands…” it said in a gruff voice, raising it’s blade. Ceara raised her arms to shield her face as she felt the blade slice her open from shoulder to waist. She screamed in agony. The group turned and departed, seemingly going off to the battle. As she lay on the ground, gasping for air, she felt something in her wound. Looking down, she saw vines starting to grow from her. Slowly at first, then more quickly. They all seemed to turn towards her, hanging in the air for a few moments before forming flower buds on the end. They blossomed open and formed into her own face. 

Ceara stared wide eyed. The flowers all smiled in unison. “You see, my dear. The more you resist, the more painful it will be.” The mouth of the closest to her face folded back and revealed a monstrous visage, a face she had ever seen before.

“SUBMIT TO ME!” a voice boomed through her head as the others laughed hysterically, the laughter echoing all around her. The creature reared up and lunged at her. 

Ceara awoke screaming. She jumped out of the bed and raced from the mender’s abode. Panting, she tried to catch her breath, as she looked around the area. Citizens of the Grove moved about, going about their lives, no one really paying any attention to her. Deheune came running up. 

“Ceara? What is it? What’s wrong?” She looked at him, her eyes wide. 

“It…it was a nightmare…again…” she said, bringing her hands up, covering her face. 

“Come, let’s go back inside.” He put his arm around her shoulders, which she instinctively shrugged off. 

“If he touches you again…kill him…remember…?” a voice said in her mind. She closed her eyes and tried to focus away from the voice. Sitting down on the end of the bed, she buried her face in her hands. 

“Tell me what happened?” he asked. She explained to him what happened in the nightmare. 

“Hmm. I’ll consult with the Mother Tree. You stay here and try to relax. I know it’s not much, but keeping calm is the best thing you can do right now.” He left the building. Ceara closed her eyes and breathed deeply

“Relax? I wish I could.” She walked out of the menders home and looked around the Grove. She was in the lower part where many of the sylvari lived. Large pools of the clearest water covered the ground. She walked over to the nearest pool and looked at her reflection. A tired weary face looked back at her. 

“I look terrible” she thought. She knelt down and splashed water on her face. Clearing the water from her eyes, she noticed her reflection staring back at her, smiling menacingly. Ceara jumped back from the pool. 

“Excuse me?” a voice spoke from behind her. She turned suddenly. A female sylvari was standing there dressed in a bright colorful outfit. “You look distraught. Is everything ok?”

“I’m…I’m fine.” Ceara replied looking away. 

“Is there something I can help you with?” the sylvari asked somewhat sheepishly. 

“Sadly, no, you can’t,” Ceara replied, seemingly agitated. She walked back into the Menders house. 

Deheune returned a few hours later. “Mother Tree suggests we try a meditation. Entering the Dream and try to confront the nightmare that haunts you.”

“Rubbish! Mother will just try to throw her yoke on me once again. I cut that rope years ago. I don’t need her to "guide me”, to give me some predestined fate. We need to live our own lives. Not the one she imagines for us.“

"No, Ceara. that’s not it at all. Just…just try. It may help.”

She gritted her teeth. She kept getting agitated with every mention of her birth name. Shaking her head she stated “Mender, I can’t.” She stormed out of his home. 

Ceara spent the night wandering the Grove. the Nightblooms, sylvari born during the cycle of night were out and about, as well as the Wardens and others who were charged with protecting the Grove. Her mind wandered, wondering if she’ll ever be ok. Nothing the mender seemed to be doing was working. His last suggestion was to enter the Dream, a suggestion she scoffed at. Entering the Dream would mean allowing the Mother Tree to attach her yoke again. She wasn’t going to allow that. She paused looking up at the great tree. 

“Mother, why must you keep your people on a leash. Let them live their lives. sylvari are destined for greatness. Let them thrive and spread across Tyria, and turn it into a paradise.” She slightly smiled. “Peace under the rule of….” She stopped. That wasn’t her thinking. “That thing…it’s…” she took a deep breath and headed back to the menders home. 

Hours later, Ceara found herself sitting on the floor, legs crossed staring at Deheune. 

“Close your eyes and breath deep and open yourself to the Dream. I’ll be with you.” he said. She was very apprehensive at first, simply staring at him. He looked at her slightly frustrated. “We aren’t going to see if this will help if you’re unwilling to try, Ceara.” Ceara sighed, resigning herself to opening her mind to the Dream. 

Ceara found herself standing in a forest path. The air was cool and still and deathly silent. The only sound was herself breathing. She looked down at her hands, her skin pale and ashen. Her heart was racing and she felt like she was on the edge of panic. 

“Calm down, calm down, calm down.” She told herself, breathing deeply. “It’ll be ok." 

"Oh will it now,” she heard behind her. Turning suddenly she paused stunned. Standing behind her was herself, only her skin was her normal pale green. “Tell me now, how is it going ok?” the other asked smiling. 

“You…you aren’t real. This…this is a dream…”

“Oh is it? Then let’s dance, shall we?” the other said, holding her hand up, small vines adorned with thorns grew from her palms towards Ceara. 

“No!” Ceara started running along the path. A cackling laughter echoed through the forest. 

“YOU CAN’T RUN FOREVER,” a voice boomed through her head. Ceara covered her ears as she ran. The ground beneath her feet seemed to change and move. Looking around, she wasn’t in the forest anymore, the very trees and vegetation seemed to be moving. She heard a low growl on the wind. 

“You belong to me. You will do my bidding,” a deep voice growled. It was the voice from the Eternal Alchemy. “Now go!” The ground seemed to shift and roll. She lost her footing and fell. The ground below her was approaching fast. It seemed to distort and twist becoming a version of her own face, smiling at her as she fell. As it neared, the mouth opened.

Ceara screamed. The mender snapped out of the Dream to find Ceara balled up on the floor, shaking. 

“It’s coming to get me… I can’t stop it… No one can stop…"The mender held her as she rambled on for minutes about something that was chasing her. 

Ceara fought to stay awake the following night, but the exhaustion of fighting whatever it was in her mind was wearing on her. Drifting off to sleep, she found herself in a rocky cavern, with beams of ethereal energy weaving their way through the darkness. 

"What is this?” she asked herself. She reached up to touch one of them, placing her hand in the path. Very warm to the touch, she felt energy hum through her body. Then a maddening cackle echoed through the cavern, morphing into a low deep growling laughter. She jumped back, scanning the area.

“What are you doing here sleeping? You have work that needs to be done. Those ley lines are going to find themselves, you know?" 

"Who’s there!?” She asked snapping awake, jumping out of the chair scanning the room. 

“Don’t you know? I’m you. I’ve always been you, you just didn’t realize it. Aren’t you happy? Because if you aren’t, you will be soon.” It was herself talking, but it wasn’t her. 

“What’s going on? What’s wrong with me?” she whined. Scared, she balled herself up on the chair, frozen in terror. 

“Oh, don’t you worry. You’ll be fine. We’re going to have a lot of fun, you and I.” She laughed. “We should leave in the morning. We have an energy network to search for.” Ceara whimpered, terrified, alone.

Scarlet snapped back to the present, her face turned sour. The ghostly image of Ceara she had conjured dissipated into mist. “Thorns…” she cursed herself under her breath. “I wasted too much energy opening that rift to the Mists.” She looked around at the surrounding area. Cold, dead foliage was everywhere. Her very essence had siphoned any life from everything near her. She could feel the energy of the Dream slowly restoring her strength. “So much raw power here. ” she said looking at her hands. “ I could stay here and draw it all in, but it would take too much time. I’ll need to cultivate as much chaos magic as I can once again.” She smiled slyly. “More power…in that wretched desert.” She raised her hand up, conjuring the image of ley energy in the air around it. She thought about the cavern in the cliffs of the Maguuma Wastes.

“Look at that. It’s beautiful.” The hum of the leyline filled the cavern. “This stream of leyline energy will be perfect to study. I’ll need to secure a place for my equipment and that little town nearby is just the spot to do it.” Ceara said playfully. “It’s out of the way enough from the rest of the world that no one will know what’s going on.”

“And if they do, you make them see the error of their ways.” she heard in her mind. Ceara turned suddenly scanning the cavern. No one was there. She laughed to herself. “Who else would be here?” she said playfully. “Oh that’s right. NO ONE BUT ME!!” Her voice echoed off the cavern walls. She took a deep breath and left the cavern, eager to return with her equipment. 

The town of Prosperity was a small secluded place located in the desert region of the Maguuma Wastes. The town relied on traveling traders to survive, with most of the residents working in the local mine. Using gold she had taken from Omadd after his death, Ceara secured residency in a small room on the edge of the town. Over the course of the next few days she would transport the equipment she needed to study the leyline. 

“It seems I miscalculated…” she sighed. She had stuffed so much equipment and boxes into the little room that she barely had space for herself. “This simply will not do.” Turning her head sideways, looking through the door at the mass that filled her living space. “Well, once I get things set up in the cavern, some space will be made…I hope.”

“You don’t have time to sleep,” a voice spoke in her mind. Ceara gritted her teeth. 

“Leave me alone…”

“I can’t do that, dear. I’ll be with you always. I’m a part of you. I always have been.” Ceara closed her eyes and tried to focus. 

“Then at least shut up so I can work.” She heard a distance cackle in her mind. Sighing, she started unpacking boxes. 

Days went by as the townsfolk watched this seemingly antisocial sylvari unpack, move equipment, assemble, disassemble, assemble again, move some more. They tried to talk to her a few times, but was always met with agitation and cold shoulders. 

“That certainly is a lot of fancy looking equipment for one lone plant.” one of the townsfolk said to another as they stood near a well, watching Ceara move about. “She’s been going non stop since she got here. I don’t think she’s slept a lick, Poor girls gonna work herself to death.” Ceara paused for a moment when she noticed the group watching her. 

“Don’t you people have better things to do than standing around gawking?” she asked lowly narrowing her eyes. She quickly turned back to getting things ready. That’s when she noticed something odd about the far wall in her room. It looked like it had been shifted at one point in time and there was a small gap at the top. She gathered some crates and stood on them and tried to peer through the opening. 

“A cave? maybe?” She jumped down and searched about for something she could smash the wall with. “Briars! Where is it!?” she cursed at herself digging through boxes. 

“AH-HA! Found it!” she said seemingly happy. The oddly shaped device was a weapon she was developing while she was under Omadds tutelage. A concussion field emitter that would knock things down or away. She had planned to install it on one of her steam creations but never finished it. “Well, her we go!” She pointed the device at the wall and activated it. It sent out a shockwave that rattled the boxes around her and seemed to affect the wall slightly. “Hmm…” She walked up to the wall and used the device directly in front of it. 

The townsfolk gathered around the well took interest in the loud boom that came from the sylvari’s room.

“Seems she may have filled that room to the bursting point” one said. They laughed a bit. Then they heard another loud boom and watched as Ceara came flying backwards out of the door. A large dust cloud came rolling out seconds afterwards. 

Ceara stared at the sky for a moment as the dust cloud rolled over her. “That…I didn’t think that would happen…” She sat up and waited for the dust to clear. She could see the far wall of the room collapsed and darkness on the other side. 

“You think we should try to help her?” one of the folks asked to the group. 

“Nah, whatever that girl is doing over there I don’t want any part of.”

Ceara ran back inside, covering her nose and mouth. She grabbed a lantern and peered through the hole. Indeed there was a cave. There were makeshift rickety stairs leading down into the darkness. Cautiously she made her way down. 

“You know what lies in the darkness, don’t you, dear?” she heard in her mind. She paused for a moment and stared into the blackness. 

“This isn’t the Eternal Alchemy,” she said to herself as she continued on, a joyful cackle echoed through her mind. 

“Just stop, will you?” she said grabbing her forehead. 

“I’ll never stop. Now, continue on, darling. We need to see what’s in this cave.”

Ceara felt herself forced to continue. Climbing over rocks and walking through spider webs, she finally found an exit that lead out into a canyon. 

“Nothing. But at least it will be a good place to set up shop and do some work.”

“There’s plenty to be done.” the voice responded. Ceara took a deep breath and closed her eyes. “What? You may as well get used to it. I’m here for the duration." 

Days turned into weeks which turned into months. She had feverishly studied the current of leyline energy running through the cavern, sometimes days at a time. Trying to figure out how to harness it, redirect it, use its energies to power anything and everything. 

"You should get some sleep, Darling.” the voice whispered.

Ceara stopped working for a moment, shaking her head. Sleep was indeed weighing heavy on her. She closed her eyes for a moment trying to focus. “If I sleep, the nightmares return…" 

"They aren’t that bad,” the voice replied back to her. “But they may go away if you would just…give…IN!”

Ceara winced at the sharp pain that ran through the back of her head. “I don’t know how much more I can take.” She took a breath. “This is taking longer than I anticipated. Of all the types of materials I’ve used to try to capture any of this energy is destroyed in a matter of minutes. I need to find a material that can withstand the power this energy produces.”

Ceara opened her eyes. “No…Leave me alone!” she yelled. The darkness was all around her. She started to run. But it seemed to never end. 

“You are nothing! I will swallow your hope and destroy your will. I am your master and you will submit to me!” a deep voice boomed all around. She felt dark hands all over her as she ran through the blackness. There were eyes everywhere though she couldn’t see them. Something grabbed her leg and she fell. Looking at her leg, it was a vine adorned with thorns, wrapped around it, like the ones she saw in the Eternal Alchemy. It was slowly twisting it’s way around her when another joined it, their thorns slowly digging into her skin. She heard footsteps that appeared to be coming from all around. Out of the darkness, she saw it. She saw herself. Multiple of her. Surrounding her. They all looked at her, smiling menacingly. They moved in and grabbed her, and she jolted awake. She sat up, trying to catch her breath. She had fallen asleep at a work table, a terrible mistake. 

“Each time…it gets worse….” she said to herself. “I may not be able to hold out much longer.”

Weeks passed. Her research led her to find that steel forged by the Dredge may be her best bet to contain the energy produced by the leyline. Working through channels in Tyria’s underground black market, she was able to secure a supply of scrap Dredge steel. Fashioning a cylindrical container, it did indeed last longer than anything she had used before, but it too eventually disintegrated. 

“Hmmm…almost,” she thought, looking at the pile of dust and scrap remain of the container. “But what am I missing?”

“Perhaps you’re being too technical about this?” the voice questioned. Ceara narrowed her eyes. 

“Hmm…for once maybe you’re right.”

“I’m always right. You haven’t learned that yet?" 

"Hmph”, Ceara grunted at the notion. “Anyway, casting all technical data aside for the moment, what do we have left? Alchemy? Magic? The Mists? The Dream?” Ceara sat down at a table and started brainstorming, alternating between writing on a notepad and typing on a holoscreen. Hours passed as she made calculations, diagrams, notations, scribbles and doodles. Finally she may have arrived at her answer. 

“The Flame Legion fires are imbued with magic. What if the Dredge steel is forged in that flame?” She thought. “Talking to them won’t be easy. I dare not contact them in person.” She knew it would take a lot of sly talking and underhanded manipulation to get the Flame Legion to give up their secrets. 

“The promise of a stronger steel for their army may swing things in my favor,” she said to herself.

“And offer the Dredge the promise of magic, and they’ll be in the palm of your hand,” the voice said. 

“The moles get magic, the flame gets gears. And I get the materials I need. It’s perfect.” She thought. The first part of her plan was starting to come together. She smiled.

“Soon…the world will know Scarlet Briar.” A hysterical cackle filled the cavern. 

Scarlet opened her eyes. “Oh Ceara, so ambitious. Father loved you.” She playfully trailed the ghostly leyline she had conjured around her, like a dancer trailing a ribbon. It dissipated as she started walking through the dead foliage, brown grass and dried twigs cracking under her footsteps. She sat against a rotten log, looking up at the sky. “You resisted so much, but eventually you learned that you couldn’t hold back Father’s ambition. You gave in, and when you finally learned, we ended up having so much fun, didn’t we? Especially at the Jubilee!” The sounds of mechanical chaos and people screaming filled the air around her.  
“So there is a jubilee being thrown for the anniversary of Queen Jennah’s 10 years as ruler? Hmm,,, how about that? Seems like my kind of party!” Scarlet said excitedly hearing the news. Her excitement turned to agitation abruptly. “But…I never got an invitation! How could they not invite me?!” She looked at the hologram of the Aetherblade captain standing before her. “Maybe a surprise visit is in store, right Captain?”

Yes, Madam!“ the hologram shouted back.

"Send a team in to see what the good Queen is going to have in the way of security, would you please? And make it quick!”

“Right away, Madam Scarlet!” he saluted her, and disappeared. 

Scarlet pondered for a moment. “Hmm…if I could kidnap the Queen….” she said to herself “that would be a great boon for my plans.” A dull pain ran through the back of her head. She gritted her teeth. “Will…you…stop FIGHTING! You can’t win, you’re nothing now!. He controls you now. You belong to him. The more you fight, the longer this will take. Just give in to him, give yourself over to him, then maybe he will finally grant you peace.” The pain subsided and Scarlet smiled to herself. “There, that’s a good little sylvari. Align yourself with Father and he will give you everything. Now, where was I? Ah yes, kidnapping Queen Jennah.” She thought for a moment. “I won’t really be able to plan anything until I hear the captains report." Taking a sip from a warm cup of tea, she looked over at the furnace she had built. "We really need to get that thing working properly. We don’t want to freeze in here, do we darling? What? You don’t like where we set up shop? Our own little private lab located in the middle of the Shiverpeaks where no one could possibly find us?” She looked around at the lab she had built for herself. A small hidden room in a cave in Lornar’s Pass, right underneath the Durmond Priory’s nose. She chuckled at the thought. The greatest collection of magical artifacts in all of Tyria was just a few hundred yards away with only solid bedrock separating her from them. But she knew better. Any attempt to infiltrate the Priory’s secured collection at current would be disastrous. “Perhaps after Father has awakened.” She sipped from the tea again. “You certainly do have good taste in tea, dear.” She took a moment to admire the drink, a mix of ginger tea with a slight hint of sweet berry ale from Hoelbrak, before walking across the lab to a large monitor that hung on the wall. The screen showed a map of Tyria with multiple lines running every which way across it. “Now which one of you is going to be the lucky one…” she said, slightly smiling and laughing to herself. 

Turning her attention to a workbench nearby, she stared at a small metallic device she had been building. She walked over to the bench and picked up the object. A small device with wires sticking out of it every which way. Picking up some nearby tools, she continued working on it. 

“Soon, I’ll have those diminutive minded Dredge building hundreds of these probes and placing them all over Tyria,” she said, very content in her work. 

A few days passed. Working on the small probe, she heard her communication device activate. 

“That better be that captain with a report,” she said angrily. She activated the hologram screen on her control panel and an image of the Aetherblade captain appeared. “It’s about time, Captain. What good news do you bring me?….you better have good news!”

“Madam, the team has arrived back from Divinity’s Reach with their report.”

“And?”

“The newly built Crown Pavilion is where the jubilee will be held…”

“And?”

“The Queen has commissioned a battalion of robot guards to protect against any kind of attack.”

“Robot guards? Like asura golems?”

“No Madam. These are human shaped, female specifically. We’ve never seen these before.” Scarlet paused a moment, her eyes wide. 

“Madam?”

“Oh really!? Interesting!” Scarlet squealed with excitement. “What else did they find?” The Captain was taken a little off guard by her outburst of excitement at first, and then ran off a few other things, but she wasn’t listening, her thoughts on these new “robot guards”. 

“Um Madam, are you still listening?” He asked. 

“Oh, you’re still talking? I’m sorry, Captain. Actually… I’m not listening…and I’m not sorry. You’re free to go now." 

"Uh, Mad…” She shut off the screen, cutting him off abruptly. Scarlet pondered for a long time. “If these are the same machines that I think they are, then…they may have incorporated some of my own steam designs into them…which means…” a wide smile grew across her face, her eyes as wide as can be “I can control them! This party just got a whole lot better!” She laughed as she pranced around the room. “Now where did I leave all those old design drawings!?” She opened an old chest she had sitting in a corner of the lab. It was overflowing with old documents and drawings she had done years ago. Papers flew everywhere and she rummaged through the paperwork. 

“Oh shut up you. Stop your complaining. This is going to be amazing. The plan I have. Just imagine the looks on the faces of those poor poor people when they see the excitement I’m going to create! HA!” she said, laughing hysterically. Her apparent happiness ended when she reached the bottom of the chest without finding the paperwork she was looking for. 

“They aren’t here?” she said softly. “Where are they?” She looked around the lab before pausing. “Prosperity? Why did we leave them in Prosperity? AAARRGGH! I have to return to that wretched desert. At least it won’t take long…hopefully.” Scarlet grabbed a small device from a shelf and adjusted some controls. “There, all set.” In the blink of an eye, she appeared in the desert on the outskirts of the town. 

“Well, look who came back.” One of the townsfolk standing by the well said. “What do you think she’s up to this time?”

“Don’t know, don’t want to know” another said, taking a drink from his beer. 

Scarlet entered her room. She ran her fingers over one of the crates. There was a fine layer of dust on everything. Looking over the boxes, she let out a heavy sigh. “Where do I start?” she asked herself, scratching the back of her head. She managed to find the drawings she was looking for in the second box. “How lucky! Yay me!” They were her old drawings from years before when she was designing her steam creatures. “Now…” she smiled slyly “let’s get to work.”

Back at the lab, Scarlet poured over the blueprints of her old steam creatures. It didn’t take her long to build a device that will allow her to take control of these new mechanical constructs the Queen had commissioned. 

“Well now, that was a tad too easy.” she said to herself smiling. She paused a moment and closed her eyes. “Quit…being…a…bother, please?” she said, sighing heavily as a dull pain appeared in the back of her head. “You really aren’t in any position to have a choice in anything, you realize that, right?” She attached the device to one of the gauntlets of her armor. “Now…I think this jubilee would be the perfect time we made our grand introduction to the world, don’t you think?”

“The Jubilee was indeed a blast, wasn’t it?” Scarlet thought, smiling to herself. “I didn’t get the Queen, but I did get to torment Lord Faren a bit. And those Watchknights…they were too perfect. Well, perfect after my modifications. Not to mention they gave me the most wonderful idea to deal with that wretched dragon slayer and that rag tag group. Cupping her hands together in front of her, a ghostly apparition of a Watchknight appeared in standing in her palms. She smiled at it, cocking her head sideways a little in a playful fashion. "We started working on it, but there were more pressing matters.” The watchknight faded as she waved her hand in front of her. A ghostly image of the Tower of Nightmares she had ordered constructed appeared in front of her. A giant simple tower built of wood and steel, open at the top in Viathan Lake of Kessex Hills that housed one of her greatest creations…

“A giant spore plant…whose poison can fell even the most hardiness of the Norn…whose spores can be harvested to make into a lethal weapon…” Her eyes narrowed. “It’s so brilliant.” Scarlet said out loud, laughing to herself looking at her display. “I’ll spread it across all of Tyria….what?…oh shut up you. I’m getting sick of your constant struggling to gain control. It’s not going to happen so just get back in your box and keep quiet.” She slammed her fist on the console. “You should be thankful. Thanks to all your knowledge, I’ve been able to put my grand scheme into production.” Scarlet tapped some buttons on the console and brought up some images. One a giant version of the Watchknights, another a seemingly huge machine designed to bore into the earth. “You see? My greatest inventions. These will change Tyria.” She paused a moment looking a little distraught. “These aren’t your ideas! I created them! They’re mine!” She snarled. “Oh, the dragon slayer will stop me? I think not. What happened at the Jubilee was a minor set back.” Scarlet thought back to what happened at the Crown Pavilion. The Queen was in her grasp, but it turned out to be a mesmer illusion. “Well, at least there was Lord Faren. He was quite the charmer” She smiled. “Oh! You finally agree with me on something? Will wonders never cease? Of all things we agree on Lord Faren. And yes he did. I especially liked the color of his undies.” Scarlet laughed. A holoprojection appeared on the console. It was a member of the Nightmare Court who had joined her newly formed Toxic Alliance. 

“Madam Scarlet.” He saluted. “Construction of the tower is going according to plan, but the krait are becoming extremely difficult to work with.” She looked at the hologram with disdain.

“Madam?” he asked.

“Did I…give you…permission to TALK?” she asked, raising her voice. 

“Ah…I…I’m sorry, Madam." 

"What is your name, boy?” she commanded. The sylvari looked worried. “Spit it out! Now!”

“Ah…it’s Caelan, Madam.”

“Caelan?” she narrowed her eyes. “Know you place, boy. You speak to me without permission again, I’ll make your life extremely miserable, do you understand?

"Yes, Madam!” he saluted again. 

“Now, what is this about the Krait?”

“They…aren’t working to full potential. They aren’t following instructions. Creating havoc.”

“Tell them…if they wish to meet their prophet like I promised, they will follow our deal to the letter. As a matter of fact, tell their dear priestess that she will be receiving a letter from me very shortly, reminding her of our deal. I get my tower, the krait get their prophet, and the Nightmare Court get their spores.”

“Yes, Madam. Right away!” the hologram disappeared. 

“Of course, I don’t really care about their so called prophet or the Court” She activated floating console and started typing “I was harsh to him? Really? You, of all people, are going to lecture me about being "harsh” to people. You just need to sit in the corner and keep quiet.“ She took a sip of her tea. "and I was harsh to him because he needed to be reminded of his place in all this. He and the rest of those Nightmare Court idiots. So just be quiet and let me work.” She finished typing the message and sent it on its way. “That should keep those Krait in line for awhile.” After closing down the console she walked over to a workbench where a small prototype energy probe was lowly humming. She looked at it for a moment and smiled. “It’s time.” She contacted the Aetherblades on the holoprojector. 

“Yes, Madam Scarlet?” the soldier asked.

“Instruct the Dredge to start placing the energy probes at all the predetermined locations that I have supplied immediately." 

"Yes, Madam. Right away!” She shut the projector down and sat in her chair, smiling at the monitor. Swinging her legs over the side and teasing her hair, she started laughing to herself before taking a sip of her tea. 

Days passed as Scarlet worked on her plans. Her wall monitor showed a map of Tyria showing signal pings from her sensor probes. Every so often a new one would appear as the Dredge continued to install them across the continent. 

“Moving forward, my dear.” she said. “Aren’t you proud of the work you’ve done? Aren’t you proud to be part of this? We’re destined for greater things.” There was silence. “Hmm…nothing to say? Usually you’re quite talkative about these things.” Scarlet chuckled to herself as she poured over a stack of blueprints on the table. “This is coming along nicely.” She held up a sheet that had a design schematic for a large version of the Watchknights. “This.” she smiled. The hologram projector pinged. “Hm?”. Activating the projector, an image of the young sylvari Caelan appeared. 

“Madam Scarlet!?” he seemed anxious. “We have a…” he stopped himself as Scarlet narrowed her eyes. 

“Caelan,…What do you want? Can’t you see I’m busy?”

“I’m sorry, Madam. The tower is nearing completion, but we seemed to have attracted some unwanted attention.”

“Then why are you still talking to me? You should be out there disposing of said unwanted attention. Are all of you Nightmare Court idiots that dense?” Caelan’s mouth hung open in seemingly disbelief. “Now really?” she said in a huff. “You’re going to catch flies. Now go!” She shut the holoprojector off, “Sometimes I think Faolin just pulls in the weakest of us to fill her little group.” Scarlet paused. “Oh wait, she does.” she said, shaking her head. She moved back to the work bench. “Time to get those dredge to work again. This "marionette” will be my…“ she paused, staring at the wall, seemingly slightly agitated. "Is that what you think? that you’re just a puppet? That WE are a puppet? No darling, you’re a means to an end, and a new beginning for Tyria when this is all done.” she smiled. “All sylvari will have you to thank when we rule the land. Now be good and just sit quietly. It’s time for the Dredge to start working on this.” She rolled up the prints and placed them in a container. “Well, now that the tower is completed, I guess we should go inspect their handiwork, don’t you think? I’m sure the Krait are just besides themselves waiting for their prophet to arrive! I do hope they all did use the antitoxin. It would be a shame for all of them to just suddenly die when the spores start spreading!” She laughed to herself. “First things first though, I’ll get the Dredge to start construction on this at the hanger, and might as well see how they are doing on our BIG project!” Her laughter echoed through the lab.

Scarlet teleported into her little room in the Aetherblade hanger. Exiting the room, she looked over the gigantic structure that housed multiple Aetherblade airships as well as a giant machine that was under construction. A nearby Aetherblade member noticed her and saluted. 

“Madam Scarlet!” he shouted. Nearby soldiers took notice and saluted as well. 

“Soldier, where is the foreman?" 

"He’s up on the superstructure, Madam. Shall I call him?”

“Yes, Right away.” she ordered. The soldier ran over to a small intercom. Scarlet looked over the railing to the floor below. Dredge were scurrying everywhere, working on anything and everything in the giant room. Moments later, the soldier returned. 

“Foreman IronHammer is on his way, Madam.”

“Excellent. I am very short on time and would hate to have to be kept waiting.” The soldier saluted and returned to his post. Minutes later, the foreman arrived. Once a member of the Charr Iron Legion, Ironhammer abandoned his warband in search of riches across Tyria. He found his calling in the Aetherblades. 

“Madam Scarlet.” He saluted. “What do we owe the pleasure of this unscheduled visit?" 

"I have a new project for the Dredge to start working on immediately. I need it finished as fast as possible.” She handed the container with the plans to him. He opened them and looked over the first sheet. 

“Madam, this is…” he started. Her eyes narrowed, her lips pursed as she prepared for a brutal rebuttal against his seemingly apparent apprehension. Then she noticed he started smiling. “This is deliciously clever!” he snarled. 

“Good! Get the Dredge to work right away. It’s going to be a special surprise for our…friends.” she sneered at the thought of the dragon slayer. “Now, I must be off. I have matters to attend to in Kessex. I expect results shortly, Foreman.”

“Yes, Madam!” he saluted. 

The Dream seemed to shudder as Scarlet watched the image of the tower fade. “Who would have thought that the Krait and the Nightmare Court would have worked together? I’m still amazed at myself that I got those two groups to actually join forces.” she chuckled to herself. On the hopes of power and wealth, she had managed to get two of the most unlikely groups in Tyria to work together to construct one of her greatest weapons. “But, alas, that dragon slayer showed up and destroyed it. But not before I got my spores.” She smiled, pausing for a moment. “I had the perfect plan to remove that festering sore.” She held out her hands and an image of her “Marionette” appeared. A giant Watchknight hanging by chains, like a giant puppet. “I was so proud of this.” she said, thinking back to that day in Lornar’s Pass. 

Scarlet smiled as she looked up at the towering monstrosity of chrome and steel. A giant twisted mockery of the Watchknights she captured from the Jubilee. It hung on huge chains like a giant puppet. 

“It’s perfect.” she said. “The perfect trap to deal with those "heroes of Tyria”. She sneered. Standing on a raised gantry way, she looked down at the floor below. Dredge ran from here to there making final adjustments to the giant machine. 

“Madam Scarlet, Is there a location where you would like to test the Marionette?” an Aetherblade member asked her. 

Scarlet pondered for a few moments. “Divinity’s Reach would be nice. Or maybe the Grove? Lion’s Arch? No, no none of those. All those places will be heavily defended anyway. Plus the spores aren’t ready.”

“Ma'am, may I suggest in Lornar’s Pass. There is a location that I believe would be a perfect test area. We could even lure the dragon slayer and that troublesome band and trap them, along with any other allies they might have, and you could deal with them at your leisure.” Scarlet smiled at the idea. Then, when the time came, she could put the final phase of her plan into motion unhindered. 

She licked her upper lip, smiling slyly “Lornar’s Pass, eh? I like the way you think, soldier.” In Lornar’s Pass, she could monitor the battle from the safety of her own lab. “Show me where this perfect area is.” The soldier led Scarlet down the gantry way and over to a map on a nearby table. 

“This area here.” he said pointing to a section of the map. “ False River Valley. This alcove in the mountains will be the perfect place. They would only be able to approach from the west and south, and given the shape of the terrain with these valleys, we could drop in modified watchknights behind them while they are focused on the Marionette, cutting off any escape route.” Scarlet pondered for a moment, her thoughtful expression slowly turning into a smile. 

“I love it!” she said excitedly. “I can finally be rid of that thorn in my side!” She paused a moment. “Not you! Where have you been? You’ve been so quiet lately, I’ve almost forgotten you exist!” The soldier looked at Scarlet somewhat puzzled.

“Madam? Are you…”

“I’m fine!” she cut him off. “This is absolutely perfect! I’ll be rid of those…those…thank you…that nuisance once and for all! HA! Can you believe it? Then I can finally put the final touches on my plan! Like the final topping on a cake! How sweet it will be!” Scarlet laughed. The soldier slowly started backing away. It didn’t go unnoticed. “What’s the matter, boy? Do I scare you?" 

No, Madam…I’m…I’m just giving you some room." 

"Just think!” she turned away from him “this will all be over very soon. And then?…oh yes…and then we will rule over Tyria.” She turned back to him, grinning from ear to ear. “And I will have you to thank for this! You!” She walked over to him, placing her hand gently under his chin. “Don’t be afraid, boy.” she said, looking into his eyes. “I’ll make sure you have a proper place in the new world when we are done.” She narrowed her eyes. Tell me…what do you dream about?“

"Uh…I…uh..”

“Come now, boy. Surely you dream of something at night, don’t you?” She released his chin and turned away from him. 

“You can answer later. But now, let’s prepare, shall we!? How soon until the Marionette is ready? Where is Foreman Ironhammer?” She activated an intercom. “Foreman Ironhammer. Report to me immediately!" 

"Um..Madam…”

“What?” she turned to the soldier, seemingly agitated.

“You might want to at least announce where your location is so he can find you…” the soldier sheepishly. Scarlet fell silent, staring at him. 

“You already scored positive points in my book. Don’t make me erase them.” she said sternly. “Now get out of my sight!” she ordered. 

“I…yes, Madam!” the soldier saluted and quickly left. Scarlet looked up at the Marionette again, lost in thought. 

“Dear, it’s because of you that all this is happening. Your brilliance and ingenuity are beyond anyone in Tyria. Because of you, all of Tyria will bow before a new master. And we…"she paused smiling. "We will be on the forefront of a new world." 

"Madam Scarlet.” Foreman Ironhammer approached her. He stood beside her and saluted. She turned her gaze away from the Marionette to him. 

“Foreman…” she said calmly, looking at him in the eyes, before turning back to the Marionette. “When will the Marionette be ready for it’s big introduction?”

“Final adjustments and testing are being made as we speak, Madam. She’ll be ready in a couple of days.”

“Hmm…” Scarlet seemed discontent. The Foreman took notice. 

“Madam?" 

” Foreman Ironhammer. You’ve done an incredible job in keeping everything running on schedule here, so I’ll be lenient. But…“ she paused. Ironhammer felt uneasy. ” I want the Marionette finished as soon as possible. I want to watch those so called ‘heroes’ burn when I give them the surprise of their lives.“ She smiled. The Foreman breathed in deep.

"Yes Madam! I’ll double the efforts of the Dredge. ’

"Good, we have to prepare for launch and…let it slip that I’ll be testing a new weapon in Lornar’s Pass.” She said playfully as she walked away from the Foreman.

“I didn’t get to overcharge the Aethercannon inside the Marionette in time….” Scarlet watched as the image of the marionette collapsed in her hands, like the giant version had months before when the heroes of Tyria managed to cut the chains holding it before she could detonate it.

“And really, Ceara?” Scarlet said to herself. “ 'Cut my strings…’ Was that your last plea for help? Hoping the heroes could somehow save you from your destiny?” She remembered Ceara managed to take control for a brief moment during the battle at the Marionette. “They wouldn’t have been able to save you.” The Marionette had been her crowning achievement up to that point in her life. Sadly, she wasn’t able to kill the dragon slayer, or any others for that matter. It didn’t matter. She looked at the cold dead ground under her feet. 

“In the end, we still got the prize, didn’t we, Ceara? Well…I did anyway.” She smiled lightly. “Those heroes tried to knock out the probes, but they missed the most crucial one. How lucky I was.” she thought. They had missed the probe sitting on the floor of Sanctum Harbor in Lion’s arch. By the time they had realized it, it was too late. The probe had allowed her to complete her scheme accessing the flow of leyline energy under Lion’s Arch and redirecting it far into the jungle of Maguuma. 

“That was quite the defining moment.”, she thought. She remembered being stabbed through by the Dragon Slayer, and it was at that point she made the jump to the Dream of Dreams. 

“Dear Ceara, it’s been fun, but it’s now time for us to go our separate ways. I’ll miss you dearly. Say hello to everyone in the Mists for me. Ta-ta!” she remembered thinking as she crossed the barrier between Tyria and the Dream. Scarlet looked around surrounding area of the Dream. “Since arriving here, this has been my home.” Her face turned serious. “But…Ceara never died…she was somehow saved. And how did I not know? How did I not feel her presence?” She paused for a moment. “No matter. I learned out how to access the Mists on my own. Once I have enough energy gathered, I’ll be able to open a large enough rift to the Mists, and create a continuous siphon of energy to feed into the leyline that feeds Father. That kind of power will allow him to conquer all…Tyria, the Dream, even the Mists itself will bow before him!” Her laughter echoed throughout the dead forest.


	4. She Is A Monster

_Sometimes you just need a little time_

The Pale Tree heard Scarlet’s hysterical cackle echo through the Dream. 

"Amaranda..." she said quietly. She couldn't feel her daughter’s presence through the Dream at all. 

"Mother, is something the matter? You look distraught." A sylvari Warden that stands guard nearby asked.

The Pale Tree turned to him. "Send for a Captain right away." 

"Of course, Mother." The Sylvari bowed and quickly departed. 

The Pale Tree stood in thought. "Amaranda, what has happened?" 

Warden Captain Failynne was a blue skinned Sylvari that at one time was a member of the Vigil. She left the order shortly after the defeat of the elder dragon Zhaitan and returned to the Grove to become a Warden. She excelled greatly with her training from the Vigil and quickly reached the rank of Captain. She was in the middle of training new recruits in sword combat when she noticed the sylvari soldier approaching.

"Captain! The Mother Tree requests your presence immediately." the soldier said saluting her. 

Failynne turned to him, a look of concern on her face. "What is the matter?"

"She didn't say, but I believe it to be extremely urgent!"

"Very well." She turned to the recruits. "That's all for today. Gather your equipment and return to your quarters. We will continue your training when I return." The recruits all saluted her and started gathering their gear. She turned to the soldier. "Alright, let's go."

"Mother Tree looked awfully distraught when she sent me. She wouldn't say what was the matter." he said. 

"That's worrisome." she muttered. They entered the Ompahlos Chamber and approached the Pale Tree. "Mother, I have come at your request." They both bowed to the Pale Tree.

"Failynne, it's good to see you again. I have not seen your sister in so long. I trust she is doing well?” 

"She's...she is doing well, Mother. I'm sure she's out in the world someplace causing trouble."

"It follows her, sadly.” The Pale Tree said softly. “But now we have a greater issue at hand. I have sent Amaranda to Divinity’s Reach, and I fear something dark has befallen her. I would like you to go to the human city and try to locate her.”

"Amaranda? The hermit?" Failynne asked, slightly confused. “Mother, forgive me for saying but I would think that a city full of people would be the last place she would ever want to be."

"Indeed, she is not one for spending much time in a large crowd, but with her connection to the Dream, she was the best choice for the task at hand." the Pale Tree replied. "Dark forces are at work in the heart of Tyria, and I fear something terrible has happened to her."

“Mother, what happened? What are we facing? Is it the dragon?”

“I do not know, my child. Even the Dream cannot show me what dangers we face.”

"Very well, Mother. I shall leave at once." She bowed before the Pale Tree and turned to leave. Feeling apprehensive, she did not like the fact of not knowing what she may find or face in the human city.

"Failynne?" the Pale Tree called. "Please be extremely careful.”

"I will, Mother." Failynne exited the chamber. 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Amaranda awoke curled up into a ball, her breathing heavy. She felt a warm breeze blow across her as she slowly opened her eyes. Raising her head to look around, she realized she was laying on a grassy dune near a shoreline. The grass rustled gently in the wind as birds chirped in the distance. 

"Whe...where am I?" she asked herself, as she slowly sat up. She winced at a sharp pain that shot through the back of her head and down her spine. She held the back of her head until it subsided. Stretching her neck, she looked around at the surrounding area.

“The Dream…” she said. “But what part? I’ve never been to this area before.” She smiled gently as she took in the tranquil peacefulness. Her thoughts eventually turned to the events of the night before. 

"I found Ceara in Divinity's Reach, as well as...that spirit...or something claiming to be Scarlet Briar." She recalled the ghostly apparition that attacked them. "What ever it was, it was filled with so much dark energy. So much chaos. Is that what Scarlet Briar is? Chaos? Is that what Ceara was driven insane by? And how is it connected to her? And where did it send her?" She remembered seeing Ceara pulled through a rift and disappearing. "Ceara...we have to find you," Amaranda’s mind drifted for a moment thinking about her sister. “What did that madness do to you? Those things you did. If only you came to me for help. To mother. She would have surely helped you.” She rose to her feet and brushed the sand from her clothing. "No sense dwelling on the past now." She sighed heavily and walked down to the water’s edge. She found the gentle waves rolling against the shoreline soothing. Stepping into the water, she knelt down and looked at her reflection. She gasped at herself. "Oh my!" she said startled, reaching for her face. Her skin had lost color, and her bright pink eyes looked like she hadn't slept for days. Splashing water on her face, she felt a presence in the area. Her hand instinctively reached for her dagger, which was missing. She turned quickly, but no one was there. She cautiously walked up the beach and looked around the surrounding area. Sparse trees dotted the land around her, and she could see mountains rising in the distance. 

"Amaranda..." she heard a voice in the wind. She turned again, searching for anyone or anything.

“Scarlet…” she whispered.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Ow…” Ceara muttered as she stirred awake “Wha...what happened?" The ground she was laying on was loose and granular, the air temperature warm. A dry arid breeze gently blew over her as she slowly raised her head. Her vision blurry, she tried to focus on the landscape around her. Her head was pounding as if someone was beating a hammer on the inside of her skull and her body ached all over. She slowly sat up, her vision slowly coming into focus as she looked over the sandy rocky wasteland that seemed to stretch forever in front of her. Behind her, a wall of sand ascended. She could see the disturbed sand where she had apparently tumbled down the hill. Some of her equipment lay partially covered along the track. She came to rest on a rocky ledge on the side of a giant sand dune. "Some kind of desert?" Looking around, only life she saw was a sporadic plant here and there. She could see in the far distance what looked to be land masses, floating in the sky and mountains even farther away passed them. Even though the desert itself was bright as day, the sky was a dark canvas of thousands of stars stretching as far as she could see. 

“Where in Tyria am I?” she asked. Rising to her feet, she stretched out her limbs in an effort to try to soothe the ache, before trudging up the dune to retrieve her gear. Reaching the top of the dune, she sat down and went through the items. 

"Shield projector? Still works, thankfully. Pirate lady’s old pistol? Still works I guess, but no ammo. Yay... Energy scanner? Looks like it's working...maybe. Aetherblade pistol?" she paused a moment looking at the weapon, a slight smile formed. "Working," She holstered the weapon. She checked the small pieces of equipment mounted on her wrist. “Electrostatic discharger…it’s humming. That’s a good sign.” She unmounted the pack on her back, a small power unit that ran on ley energy. She ran through a couple checks to determine the device hadn’t been damaged. “Everything seems to be in working order.” she said reattaching the pack. She took a deep breath as she stared out across the desert. That’s when she heard it. The low growling rumble in her stomach. "I should probably eat something." She reached into one of the satchel pockets of her armor and pulled out a small wrapped pack that contained an emergency ration of food. She had found a bunch of them in her stash at the Aetherblade base near Lions Arch. Unwrapping the paper, it was food that had been compressed into what amounted as two thin bricks. "Pale mother, I hope I don't break any teeth trying to eat this stuff." The first bite disintegrated as she started chewing, quickly turning into a mush. She grimaced at the taste. "Ugh, this isn't much better than that broth I survived on when...." She cut herself off, pausing for a few moments She remembered the events that lead her to her current situation. "I hope you burn in the Mists" she remembered saying.

"I'll see you there..." was Scarlet's reply. 

"Scarlet…or something that claims to be…me...she sent me here." She stood up and look around into the distance again. "Is this...is this the Mists?" She slowly took another bite of the food bar. Slowly chewing, her mind raced. "If all the stories I've read are to be true...If this is the Mists, then…then maybe... I should be able to find help." Stuffing the bar in her mouth, she made one last check of her things, before hurrying off down the dune.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Failynne, accompanied by two wardens, arrived at Divinity's Reach through the Asura Gate located in the Upper City district near the royal palace. The two Seraph guards stationed at the gate saluted them. 

"Wardens. It's good to see you. What brings you to Divinity's Reach?" one of them asked. 

"We've come looking for a Sylvari named Amaranda." Failynne replied. 

“Amaranda?” The Seraph thought for a moment. “I don’t know the name, but we did hear that a Sylvari was found unconscious in the pavilion last night. Would that be her?"

"Where might she be?" Failynne asked sternly. 

"I’m sorry Warden, but we don't know where she was taken. You will have to check with the Seraph office." He pointed in the direction of the palace at a set of open doors near the main entrance. 

"Thank you, soldier." Failynne motioned for the wardens with her to follow. The Seraph saluted. 

"Well she seemed pleasant." the other Seraph guard murmured sarcastically. 

"Yeah, her name is probably Poison Ivy or something like that." the other replied rolling his eyes. 

Seraph Sergeant Connery took notice of the group of armored Sylvari that entered the main room of office. He was an older man with greying hair that had seen his fair share of battle. Failynne paused for a moment and looked over the room. She focused on the twisted form of an Aetherblade rifle sitting on a nearby table before approaching the main desk. The Sergeant stood and saluted her. Failynne returned the salute. 

"Wardens. I'm Sergeant Connery. I'm sure I know why you are here."

"Warden Captain Failynne. We're looking for the Sylvari that was found last night in the Pavilion."

"Of course. She was taken to the hospital in the Salma district. An on-site Mender is tending to her."

"Can you tell me what happened, Sergeant?" Failynne requested.

"Well, we don't know much at the moment. I was hoping you might be able to fill us in on any information.”

“Sadly, Sergeant, we have no information. The Pale Tree sent us here to investigate.”

“I see. Well, there was a loud disturbance heard from the area of the pavilion.” He picked up a small stack of paper and looked it over. “There are reports of a bright flash of light, followed by what I assume is the sounds of a projectile weapon.” They both looked at the rifle. “When the Seraph arrived, they found your Sylvari laying on the ground. The Watchknights nearby were acting erratically. Shaking violently, struggling as they tried to move. We shut them down to so they can be rebuilt yet again.” He set the papers down. “We've also contacted the Priory to see if they can send some of their people here to help with the investigation." Failynne pondered for a moment. “Tell me, Warden.” The Sergeant continued. “Is this Sylvari some kind of magic user or something?”

“No, she is not. She is just a lonely hermit who apparently got caught in the middle of something she shouldn’t have.”

“Well, she’s the one that apparently has all the answers.”

"And the sooner we can see her the faster we can get them. Can you take us to her, Sergeant?"

"Right away." He turned to a soldier. "Sam, escort these Sylvari to the hospital in Salma immediately.”

"Yes sir!" the soldier saluted. 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Sam is it? May we walk by the pavilion?" Failynne asked as they walked off the palace grounds. 

"Of course, Warden. Right this way." The soldier led them down a street to a section of the city referred to as “The Commons.”

"Is there anything you could tell me about what happened last night?" Failynne asked as she looked around at the scenery. It was mid-morning. Citizens making their purchases as street vendors peddled their morning sales. Children ran through the streets playing. 

"Not too much I can tell you, really. I didn't find out about it until I got to my post this morning. Something about a bright flash of light and loud booming sound."

"I see..." She muttered as they continued to walk through the city. When they neared the Crown Pavilion, Failynne paused to gaze at an older deactivated version of the Watchknights that hung by chains on display. "It looks like a puppet." she remarked. 

"Yeah, that's one of the older ones that didn't get rebuilt after Scarlet’s attack. It's just a decoration now." he said, looking up at it. 

"Scarlet..." she sighed. 

"She was a monster. It's a good thing she's dead. Who knows what other disasters she would have created. She practically kidnapped Queen Jennah."

"Hmm..." Failynne pondered a moment before descending the steps into the pavilion. "This is where it happened?"

"Yes, ma'am. I believe so." he replied. Failynne looked over the area, looking for anything that might seem out of place. She walked over to the fence that surrounded the pit where the arena was. She peered over the edge. Birds drifted lazily on the light breeze that blew through the arena area. 

“The Watchknights were acting erratically when the Seraph arrived, correct?” she asked. 

“Yes, ma’am.” 

“I wouldn’t think she would still have the ability to take control of them.” Failynne said to herself. “Did they attack anyone?” she asked out loud. 

“Not that I know of. Like I said, I didn’t find out anything until I got to my post this morning” 

Failynne’s thoughts were cut short by a shaky voice nearby. "Looking for that spooky ghost, are you?" Turning her head, a small elderly human woman was approaching. 

"Ghost?" Failynne inquired.

"Yes indeed, a ghost. It started appearing recently in the past few weeks, I guess. It comes around here every so often. It just dances through before disappearing. You can hear it singing to itself. It’s got a pretty voice." 

“So, you have seen it?” Failynne asked her. 

“Oh yes, I have. I guess it was a performer of some sort.” 

"Pay no mind to her, Warden. Divinity's Reach is full of spirits." Sam replied. 

"More than you know, youngster." the old woman snarked, shaking a finger at him. "I once saw Old Man Thomas’s ghost running naked through the street yelling "Pull the lever for a good time! Boy, I tell you. Mr Thomas sure was a handful!" the old woman said excitedly, looking at Failynne. The Seraph snorted a stifled chuckle as Failynne stared in disbelief. 

"Thank...thank you for the information." she stuttered.

"Anytime. If you want to hear about how Sparky blew the covers off the sewer drains, just ask." the elderly woman said continuing on her way.

Failynne looked at her two subordinates. "Do you think we'll be like that when we grow old?"

"No idea, Captain." one said as the other looked dumbfounded. She took one final look around the Pavilion before turning to the Seraph. "I guess we'll move on to the hospital."

"Yes, Ma'am" he replied. 

Salma District was a quiet section of Divinity’s Reach located in the northeast part of the city. Entering through the heavy wooden gates, Failynne took in the quiet atmosphere of the area. She noted a group of children playing nearby in a fenced in area under the watch of a woman that look like some sort of priestess. A small market populated the center of the district, with vendors selling food and supplies brought in from the countryside. As they approached the Vanguard Hospital, the two Seraph standing guard outside saluted them. Failynne returned their salute and entered. 

"Can I help you?" asked the clerk behind the desk. 

"Caleb, these wardens are here to see the Sylvari." The clerk looked over his glasses at them. 

"A little heavily armored for one lone Sylvari, aren't you? Makes me a little nervous." the clerk asked. 

"I'm sorry, sir. But it's for our own protection." Failynne stated.

"I understand." he replied. Turning to a nurse nearby. "Elise, please show these fine people to the Sylvari's room." A young woman walked up to the group. 

"Right this way." she said. She took the group down a short hallway and up a set of steps to the second floor. As they entered the second floor, they could hear the sounds of random chatter as doctors and nurses checked on their wards. They passed rooms with Seraph soldiers injured from fighting with centaurs and bandits, other rooms had citizens of Divinity's Reach and the village of Shaemoor, some nursing injuries of carelessness, others were victims of hapless violence. Failynne took note of a room with a couple children playing with toys. 

"These citizens...all of them victims of senseless violence?" Failynne muttered. 

"Sadly, most of them are. And we try to comfort them and provide healing the best we can." the nurse replied.

"You do good work here. You and the menders here should be commended." Failynne replied back. 

"Thanks, warden. It's our duty to help those in need. Ah, here we are." The nurse stood aside a door, the Seraph soldier next to her. "Is this who you are looking for?" Failynne looked into the room. Amaranda was lying unconscious on a bed, a sheet covered up to her neck. The Sylvari mender tending to her looked to the door. 

"Warden?" he said standing. 

"How is she?" Failynne asked. 

"She is...ok at best. I've tried to wake her, but nothing seems to have worked. Even in the Dream, I can't sense her."

"Nothing at all?"

"No. Just every so often she slowly rolls her head to one side or moves her arms slightly." 

“Odd that she cannot be sensed in the Dream given how powerful her connection is to it." Failynne commented. 

"Indeed. It's almost as if she has completely walled herself off." Amaranda let out a gasp. The mender rushed over to her. 

"Amaranda?" he asked. Her eyes opened wide. 

"GET AWAY FROM ME!" she jumped out of the bed, tangled in the sheet. She stumbled and fell into a table of medical supplies and crashed to the floor. 

"Amaranda!" the mender yelled. He jumped on her. "Can someone help? We need to secure her!" One of the Sylvari soldiers stepped in. Amaranda was thrashing about. 

"GET AWAY! LEAVE ME ALONE!" she continued to scream. The soldier was able to pin her down. 

"Amaranda, it's ok!" the mender told her. "We're here to help." She slowly stopped moving as she stared at the mender, trying to catch her breath. 

"Where...where am I? Where's Ceara? Where's Scarlet?" The mender looked at Failynne, then back at Amaranda. 

"You're in the hospital in Divinity's Reach. And Ceara?... Scarlet? She's dead." The mender looked back at Faelyn again, who had a look of concern on her face. 

"No, Ceara is alive! I saw her! and...and ...and I saw Scarlet Briar too! She's...she's a ghost...a spirit! She's become something else. She attacked us! and..." she thought for a moment. "She sent Ceara through a rift. And then Scarlet…she spoke to me in my mind!" Amaranda was almost panicking. "That's all I remember!"

"Come, let's get you back in the bed." the mender said, helping her to her feet. 

“No! We have to get out of here! Get back to the Grove!”

“We’ll get there, but first we have to make sure you’re ok.” Amaranda slowly laid down, and he put the sheet back over her. "She spoke to you in your mind?"

"Yes, she spoke to me. Showed me visions of death and destruction. An army of Sylvari and a dragon. It was overwhelming. It took all my strength to block her out."

Failynne stepped forward. "Amaranda, I am Warden Failynne. Mother Tree sent me to find you. Can you tell me what happened?"

Amaranda looked down at the sheet, trying to remember what happened. " I was...I was near the pavilion. And I was grabbed by Ceara. I tried to get away from her, but she pinned me down."

"Ceara? You mean Scarlet Briar?'

"No... she wasn't Scarlet Briar. She's not Scarlet anymore."

"Not anymore?"

"Not anymore. Scarlet Briar is...a spirit. She's evil." 

"A spirit?" Failynne asked, glancing at the mender before looking back at Amaranda. "Please continue."

"So... after I saw Ceara, we then heard her. We heard Scarlet. She was in the street, dancing...singing...singing the Pale Tree's song. And... acting very strangely. Like she was talking to a crowd of people. We watched her. When she noticed us, she seemed very excited to see us and wanted to us to follow her to the Pavilion." 

"Where she attacked you?"

"Yes, but not right away. She...she somehow summoned an echo of the past in the Pavilion...of the attack during the Queens Jubilee. And she absorbed all the chaotic energy released from the echo. Then she attacked us. Ceara tried to hold her off, but Scarlet threw her through a rift. And then she attacked me."

"And you are sure it was Ceara? and Scarlet Briar? Not some mesmer trick?'

"It wasn't a mesmer! I saw both of them! with my own eyes!" 

“Hmm…that explains the damaged rifle in the Seraph office.” Failynne said as she thought about the ruined Aetherblade rifle. "Where did she send Ceara?" 

"I... I don't know. But she's hurt and we have to find her!" Failynne pondered for a moment, then motioned to the mender to exit the room with her. 

"What do you think of this?" Failynne asked. "Do you think she actually saw...Ceara? Do you think she survived?"

"I don't know, Warden." The mender looked back at Amaranda for a moment. "She suffered something very traumatic if she walled herself off in the Dream. If Scarlet...or Ceara...or whatever Ceara has become has indeed survived, that would be a very big problem."

"Yes, especially after that roar we all heard after the attack on Lions Arch"

"Indeed, Tyria does not need to be fighting another dragon and have to deal with Scarlet at the same time."

"I'm not crazy." Amaranda hollered from the bed. "I did see them both. They aren’t the same person! Not anymore!" Failynne looked at her for a moment, half heartedly nodding her head. 

"I'll have to bring this news to mother. Mender, when can we take Amaranda back to the Grove?" Failynne asked.

"Now that she's awake…” the mender took a deep breath. “I’d like to keep her here for a day, if that's ok."

"We may not have a day." Failynne sighed. "But so be it. We'll return in the morning." They both reentered the room. 

"You must believe me. Ceara is alive and she's hurt. And Scarlet...she's going to do something terrible."

"We believe you, Amaranda, but right now I need to make sure you're ok."

"Mender, I'm fine. We need to return to the Pale Tree. Tell mother what's going on!" 

"We'll get to that, but right now, you let the Mender tend to you. We'll return in the morning to get you." Failynne said reassuringly. Amaranda let out an agitated sigh and fell back in the bed. 

"Impatience doesn't look good on you, just relax." the mender told her. Failynne instructed one of the wardens with her to stay guard. He saluted in return.

"We'll rotate shifts. Every eight hours. Now we need to secure a place to stay." She turned to the nurse. "Mender, is there any inn nearby where we might rent a room?"

"There is the Maiden's Whisper in the Rurikton district. It's quite the tavern and inn. Can be pretty rowdy at night."

"Thank you, Mender." She motioned her fellow Sylvari to leave. 

"Tapani, what do you think of this city?" Failynne asked him as they left the Salma district. Tapani was a younger Sylvari that had joined the Wardens not too long after he was born. He looked around at the scenery nearby. 

"Much too chaotic and disorganized for my liking, Captain. Everywhere I look, I see corruption and misdeeds. Look there, a beggar asking for food. How can a just Queen let this happen in her own kingdom?" 

"Sadly, human culture breeds it. Greed is a disease that propels humankind to step on the downtrodden to further their own selfish goals, rather than work for the benefit of all." Failynne paused a moment, eyeing a food cart nearby. "That's not to say all humans are like that. There are those that put all else before themselves. The Queen is quite benevolent, I understand. But there are those in her service that are…not quite pure of heart, so to speak." She walked over to the cart and looked over the fruits and vegetables on the stand. "Even we Sylvari are not without our own corruption. The Nightmare Court is a prime example." she stated while picking a couple apples. "You should get something to eat as well." Tapani grabbed a couple items for himself. "Thank you, merchant." Failynne said as she handed the vendor some coins. 

"and Scarlet Briar." Tapani said. 

"Uh-huh." Failynne said in agreement biting into an apple. “Ceara…” she paused to chew her food. “was considered to be one of mothers brightest, abeit abit aloof. 

“How so?” he responded while biting into a tomato. 

“She didn’t like being around others. Very private to say the least. Very focused on what she wanted to do and didn’t like to be bothered by anyone else. Or anything. An enigma some would say. The only one among us who could easily reject the Dream.”

“Reject the Dream? That seems to be near impossible.”

“Not impossible. But very difficult for us. She did it immediately after she was born, from what I understand.”

“I see.” He replied. "Captain, do you believe Ama...amra.."

"Amaranda." Failynne corrected him.

"Yes. Do you believe her? About those things she said about Scarlet? and Ceara?"

"I'm not sure what I believe. But I will say this, during my travels across this world, I have seen a great many strange things. Tyria is full of wonder and splendor, but it also hides a lot of dark secrets. So, it will not surprise me if Scarlet Briar is still alive somehow."

"What do we do if we find her?"

"That's...something we'll have to deal with when the time arrives."

The duo approached the Maiden's Whisper tavern. It was a large establishment in the center of the Rurikton District of Divinity's Reach, well known for its friendly atmosphere and nightly entertainment. A large bar and restaurant occupied the first floor and multiple stories above had rooms available to patrons. 

"Rumors swirl about this place of illicit activity in the floors below ground." Failynne stated. "So be cautious."

"It doesn't surprise me at all." Tapani replied. "After all the other sights I've seen throughout this city." Entering they noticed the tavern was mostly empty, save but a few people enjoying a midday meal, or casual drink. The smell of searing meat filled the air. The bartender took note immediately of the two armored Sylvari. Faeyin noticed he seemed slightly nervous. A young busty woman approached them. 

"Hello! Welcome to the Maiden’s Whisper! Are you here for some lunch?" she asked politely. 

"Not this day. We just need to rent a room for the evening. Is one available?"

"Oh...why, yes. I believe so. Please, Miriam over there will gladly help you." The woman pointed to another woman sitting behind a desk in a room nearby. 

"Thank you."

"Anytime! Please stop in if you get hungry!" the woman replied. 

"I can see why this place is popular." Tapani said. 

"Keep you mind on the task at hand, sapling." Failynne ordered. 

"Yes, Captain" Failynne entered the small room. The woman behind the desk stood. 

"Hello! What can I do for you two fine Sylvari this day?"

"Miss, we need to rent a room for the evening."

"Very good. I'll just need your signature here on this paper and.."

"What is this?" Failynne asked sternly, cutting the woman off. 

"Oh, this is just an agreement stating that any damage suffered to the room is the responsibility of the patron, in this case, you and your friend."

"I see." She took a feather filled with ink and signed her name. 

"That'll be 5 gold for the night." Failynne looked at Tapani, who slightly rolled his eyes. He reached into a small satchel and produced some coins. The woman counted them out. 

"Very good. Here is the key to your room. Second floor at the end of the hallway."

"Thank you."

"No thank you! Please enjoy your stay!" the woman said excitedly. 

"Did that woman seem a little too excited to rent us a room?" Tapani asked when they reached the second floor. 

"Such is the nature of working in a place such as this. You wear a fake smile while taking the money of others." They entered the room. It was of moderate size with two beds. A small table with two chairs sat next to a window that gave a view of the street below, and a chest of drawers in a corner. "You get some rest." she told him. 

"What are you going to do?" Tapani asked. 

"I'm going to visit the Seraph office again to ask some questions. And then investigate the Pavilion some more. Don’t worry, I'll be back before it's your shift at the hospital." she said, looking out of the window. She turned to leave the room. 

"Captain, be careful." Tapani stated. 

"Aren't I always?" she said smiling to him as she closed the door behind her.


	5. Do You Fear The Future?

_Sometimes the truth is hard to believe_

Failynne entered through the doors of the Seraph office. Sergeant Connery was still at the desk looking over some paperwork. 

"Ah, Warden. Sam said you are taking the woman back to the Grove in the morning?"

"Yes, Sergeant. But I have some questions."

“And we have questions for her. But yours first.”

"The rifle you have there on that table. It was found at the pavilion, correct?"

"Yes, it was. Judging by the burn marks inside the barrel, it was used recently. I’m fairly certain the gunfire heard last night came from it. Though whatever twisted it into that shape must have had a lot of strength behind it."

"May I take a closer look at it?" she asked. 

"Oh, of course." He walked beside her over to the table. Wrapping some cotton cloths around it, he handed it to her. “Be careful not to touch it. Evidence and all."

"I understand." she replied. She looked over the twisted form of the weapon. "This is an aetherblade rifle, is it not?"

"We believe so. Has all the same modifications that we have come to expect from their firearms."

"Modifications improved upon by Scarlet Briar herself." 

"Indeed. That woman was one smart cookie, I give her that." he said nodding his head. "Shame she did the things she did. She could have been a hell of a weaponsmith for fighting the dragons." 

"That she could have." Failynne replied, thoroughly inspecting the weapon. The sergeant paused looking at the table for a moment. 

"Um, look." he said in a hushed tone, slightly leaning against the table. "Sam came back from the hospital, said your woman there was blabbering about Scarlet Briar still being alive and rifts and someone named Cera or Cara or something like." She cut her eyes at him. "Is it true?" he asked. 

"Sergeant." she said quietly, setting the rifle down "I don't know what's true yet. But finding the truth is what I intend to do."

"Well, I hope you find out...or find her... before my men do. Because if she shows her face here in Divinity’s Reach..." He paused looking at the rifle. "They'll use force if they have to." Failynne looked thoughtful for a moment, then looked at him. "It's bad enough we have to deal with centaurs and bandits,” he continued, “but having to deal with her within the walls of this city. That's a threat to the Queen. And we can't have that.”

"I understand." she said, forcing a halfway fake smile. "Thank you for your time."  
She turned and exited the office. 

Sergeant Connery motioned to one of the soldiers. “Keep an eye on her. If they try to leave the city. Stop them.”

“Yes, sir.” 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“So Ceara is still alive somehow.” Failynne thought about the things Amaranda had told her as she walked off the palace grounds. Taking in the afternoon sights and sounds of the city, she made her way back to the Crown Pavilion. She nodded to the Seraph guards at the main entrance to the pavilion and descended the stairs. The canopy of the pavilion, built of glass and steel in the shape of a giant eagle, glistened in the midday sun. At the bottom of the stairs, she slowly looked over the pavilion. 

"Nothing apparently seems amiss..." she said to herself, noting the few people going about their daily business. “Except…” She noticed the air was very still, and the birds that had been steadily chirping had silenced. “Something’s wrong.” She approached the fence around the pit and looked down into the empty arena below. She could see a small group of people moving about in the center staging area. "Palace officials? Ministers, maybe?" she thought judging by the clothing they were wearing. "Some soldiers as well. Their armor doesn’t seem familiar." She watched them for a few minutes. "They must be investigating the incident as well." 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Amaranda laid in the hospital bed, agitated and upset. "Mender, we have to go now! We're in grave danger and you're keeping me here. We need to tell Mother Tree what's going on!" she protested. 

"Not yet, Amaranada. We need to make sure you're fully healed before letting you go."

"I am fully healed!" she said raising her voice. 

"Ssshhhh! Keep your voice down!" the mender said. Amaranda sighed angrily. 

"Seer, you should heed the menders advice." Amaranda froze, her eyes wide, her mouth agape.

"Amaranda? What's wrong?" the mender asked.

"She's...she's here. Scarlet is here!" she gasped. 

"What? Are you sure?" the mender asked. 

“Where is she?” The warden also asked, placing his hand on his weapon.

"Yes! She's here now! She's in... she’s in my mind." Amaranda looked at the mender, terrified. Amaranda heard Scarlet chuckle in her mind. 

"Oh, Darling. Your connection to the Dream is so strong, it was so easy to find you." 

"What do you want!?" Amaranda asked out loud.

"I just wanted to thank you for bringing Ceara back to me. Without you, I might not have ever found her."

"Get out of my head!"

"Don’t worry your little self, darling. I hadn't planned on staying. You aren't nearly as exciting as Ceara. Honestly, dear, you're quite boring. Though, I'm sure we'll see each other again sometime. Until then, tah-tah!" Scarlet's voice went quiet. Amaranda looked up at the mender, fear in her eyes. 

"Amaranda?" he asked. 

"She's gone. She was in my mind." 

"What did she say?"

"She thanked me...thanked me for bring Ceara back to her. Mender, I must go. We have to tell Mother now!" The mender sighed deeply, looking at the Warden, who was looking back at him. 

"Thorns!" he said shaking his head. "Ok, let me get everything in order and we'll leave. It will take me a few moments." 

"I don't think we have a few moments!"

"We can't just walk out of the hospital! You're my charge here and we have to do things properly!" he said, raising his voice. Amaranda grumbled her disapproval.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As Failynne watched the figures move about in the empty arena below, something caught her eye. Movement on the far end of the arena. Trying to focus on it, but she couldn't make it out. 

"Something is definitely there..." She started walking around the perimeter of the guardrail, keeping a look out. As she rounded to the far end of the pavilion, it became apparent it wasn't just one thing she saw. She paused, watching various ghostly apparitions appear and move about. 

"Centaurs?" she asked to herself, slightly confused. "And over there? Is that...Charr? They look like Flame Legion…" She stared for a moment. "What am I see…oh no…" In mere moments, more and more apparitions started to appear, filling out the arena, followed by the sounds of combat. The sound was growing louder, as the arena turned into a mass of chaotic activity. She remembered what Amaranda had told her. She frantically searched around the ghostly chaos that was taking place below. "There!" she said out loud, pointing at a ghostly apparition of Scarlet Briar fighting what appeared to be the Pact Commander. "This is...this is the Queen's Jubilee! This is just as Amaranda described!" She then remembered the ministers and guards in the center of the arena. “Briars!” She ran along the fencing until she got to a section that gave her a decent view of the center area. She could see that the guards had surrounded the ministers with weapons drawn, forming a wall to protect them from the chaos around them. "Get out of there! Run to the exit!" she yelled as loud as she could, but it was no use. The sounds coming from the arena was much too great. She started running back towards the entrance to the Pavilion while keeping an eye on the chaos below. She paused. "There is Scarlet again?" Indeed, it was, fighting the Pact Commander in another section of the arena. Failynne continued running straight for the gate that led down to the arena, until she was abruptly stopped by a guard at the top of the steps that led to the gate.

"No one is allowed in the arena!" one of them shouted. 

"Are you mad!? Can't you hear all that noise!? You have got to get the people out of there! They're in danger!" Failynne shouted back. 

"We already have Seraph down there working on the situation, Warden."

"You need to send for more..." Failynne was cut off as a blast of energy erupted from the arena pit, the shockwave washing over her and the Seraph guard. 

"My gods!" he exclaimed as they both rushed to the fence. The arena was deathly quiet now, and they could see the group of ministers and their guards laying on the ground in the arena center. 

"Get help now!" Failynne barked at him. He quickly nodded and ran off. She ran back to the gate that led to the arena and passed through. She wasn't expecting instant transportation down to the arena level. 

"That....wasn't ready for that." she paused a few seconds to get her bearings before running to the arena center. She quickly checked the group.

"Still alive. But their skin is cold...like they've been in the mountains." she said to herself. 

"I always wondered what it was like to be queen." An ethereal voice spoke nearby. Failynne spun around, drawing her sword. 

"You!" Sitting in the queen’s throne was the ghostly apparition of Scarlet Briar. Scarlet looked at Failynne, cocking her head to one side, seemingly inquisitively. 

"Warden...it's so good to see you!” she erupted in glee. “I'm glad you're here. These people tried to ruin my party!"

"Ceara? What has happened to you?"

Scarlet smiled menacingly at Failynne. "Oh, my dear Warden. Ceara's not here! She is safely tucked away in a little box elsewhere. It's just me in here now." Scarlet slightly leaned forward and tapped on the side of her forehead.

"Scarlet Briar?" Failynne asked cautiously. 

"Oh yes! It makes me so happy you recognize me." Scarlet rose to her feet. "Now won't you enjoy the rest of my party?" she asked, gesturing grandly. 

"What...party?" Failynne asked. Scarlet started gliding towards her. Failynne stepped back, holding her sword in front of her. Scarlet chuckled to herself. She held out her hand as she continued moving towards Failynne. The warden could feel the air chilling around her. 

"Tell me, Warden. What do you fear the most?" Failynne glared at her. Scarlet held out her other hand and small thorn adorned vines appeared around them, twisting and turning through her fingers and around her arms. "Is it the fear...that...you'll lose control of yourself? Doing what you think is right, and destroying others that get in your way?" Scarlet smiled. 

"What are you talking about?"

"Or do you fear the future? The uncertainty? What may happen?" She looked down at the group of Krytans that lay nearby. "Their future is ending, and our future is beginning. There's a plan for you, Warden." Scarlet cut her eyes to Failynne. "A plan for all Sylvari. Oh yes. Along with father, we will rule over Tyria!" she said excitedly. "I hope you will join the party when it happens!" Scarlet disappeared into a cloud of mist, her laughter echoing throughout the arena. Failynne looked around the area, her eyes darting everywhere, looking for any sign of Scarlet. The silence was deafening with only the sounds of random birds being heard. Slowly she returned her sword into its sheath, not letting her guard down. She heard footsteps start to echo through the arena. Turning, she saw the Seraph running towards her with a group of other soldiers. A medic rushed over to the fallen group. 

"Warden! How are they?" the Seraph asked her. 

"Alive, but cold, as if they had been in the Shiverpeaks for days."

"We have to get them to the hospital now." the medic ordered. 

"Yes sir." another of the soldiers responded and ran off. 

"The hospital..." Failynne said to herself. "I have to get there! You have this under control?" she asked turning to the Seraph. 

"Yeah, we got this." Failynne nodded and ran towards the exit. 

Amaranda rubbed her forehead slowly. The waiting was eating at her. "How can this be taking so long!?" she thought. Sighing heavily, she glanced at the Warden, who was sitting in a chair near the door. He looked at her with a look of boredom, himself sighing lightly. The mender had left to take care of the paperwork needed to discharge her from the hospital. "No wonder humans can't seem to get anything done." she grumbled. The Warden nodded in agreement. The mender finally returned with a stack of papers in his hand. 

"Ok, just need you to sign this here and this here and we can go."

"Finally!" she squealed, taking the quill from him. She was interrupted by the sound of hurried armored footsteps came from the hallway. 

“Get out of my way!” Failynne’s voice could be heard. She appeared in the doorway, a very concerned look on her face. 

"Captain!” the young Warden said, standing and saluting her. 

"Scarlet was here." She gasped, trying to catch her breath. “I ran here as fast as I could.”

"We know!" Amaranda stated sharply. "She was in my mind!"

"What!?" Failynne asked. “What did she do!?”

"All she did was thank me for bringing Ceara to her…and she called me boring!" 

"I saw her at the Pavilion. It was just as you described. Ghostly images appearing. A bright flash of energy. She approached me, speaking of a future where Sylvari rule Tyria."

"Yes, with the help of 'father'." Amaranda stated. "That's the same as she told me. 'All will bow down before him' she said.”

"We need to go now!" Failynne ordered. She turned to the warden. "Go to the Maiden’s Whisper and retrieve Tapani. Then return to the Grove immediately." He saluted her and rushed out of the room. 

“What about Ceara?” Amaranda asked. 

“She said Ceara was safely tucked away in a box somewhere.” Failynne replied. “Are you sure this Scarlet isn’t the same as Ceara?”

“I’m positive.” Amaranda stated. “I saw them both.”

"Paperwork is complete. Let us get you out of here." The mender said., entering the room.

"Good! We have to inform the Mother Tree what is happening immediately." Amaranda stated as they hurried out of the hospital. 

Failynne and Amaranda were stopped by Seraph guards as they approached the Asura gate that would take them back to the Grove. They could see that Tapani and the other Warden had already been denied travel. 

"What's going on here?" Failynne demanded. 

"As you know there was another incident at the Pavilion. Some of our officials were hurt, including a couple ministers. You, Warden, were seen there. A guard claims you saw what happened."

"Of course, I was there. I was sent there to investigate." Failynne responded.

“Warden, we have questions. Your ward here…” He pointed at Amaranda. "and now you have the answers we seek. You were at the pavilion earlier when it happened. And right now, we have people injured and an ongoing investigation and you are now part of it.”

“We don't have time for this. We must get to the Grove. You must let us pass."

“I’m sorry, Warden. It’s our orders.” Agitated, Failynne turned to Amaranada and the other Sylvari.

“What about them? They weren’t at the pavilion. They should be free to go.” 

“Your two compatriots possibly, but that will be for us to decide." he replied. Failynne glared at the Seraph when she felt a hand on her arm. 

“Warden, it's no use.” Amaranada said softly. "Given how difficult it was for us to leave the hospital, we will have to move mountains in order to leave the city.”

“Briars!” Failynne exclaimed, her temper starting to rise.

“Let the sergeant know we have them." The seraph said to his companion. He saluted and ran off towards the Seraph office. 

“What are you going to do with us?’ Failynne demanded, her hand slowly came to rest on the pommel of her sword. The Seraph took notice.

“Not a good idea to do that, Warden. Please remove your hand from your weapon.” He ordered. 

“Don’t." Amaranda said moving her hand down to Failynnes. “These soldiers are only doing what they are told.” Failynne breathed in deeply dropping her hand down to her side, visibly frustrated. 

“Once back up has arrived, you all will be escorted to the office of the Seraph.”

“We’re wasting valuable time with this nonsense.” Failynne hissed through her teeth. 

“I know.” Amaranda said. “But right now, it’s in our best interests to go with them.” It wasn’t long before a group of seraph soldiers arrived. 

“Take their weapons.” The guard ordered. Reluctantly, the sylvari gave up their gear and were marched back through the main garden of the palace grounds. Amaranda paused briefly, feeling a presence watching them. 

“She’s here…” Amaranda said quietly. 

“Who? Scarlet?” Failynne asked. 

“Yes. She’s watching us.”

“Where?”

“Behind us.” Amaranda replied. Failynne tried to turn to try look for the spectre but was quickly shoved forward. 

“Keep moving.” One Seraph ordered. A light breeze blew through the courtyard carrying the echo of Scarlet’s cackle. 

“Did you just hear something?” one of the soldiers asked. 

“No, and neither did you.” Another replied as they reached the doors to the Seraph office.


	6. A Second Chance At Life

_Sometimes we must open our eyes to see_

Ceara had lost track of time as she traveled across the desert wasteland. She had been wandering for hours without seeing any sign of life save for a few random plants here and there.

“HELLO!? IS ANYONE OUT THERE!?” she hollered as loud as she could. She was met with the same thing yet again, silence. Only a slight breeze every so often would blow through. The arid environment was not being kind to her. She could feel her skin drying out, and the foliage on her head was starting to droop. The last time she had anything to drink was before arriving in Divinity’s Reach.

"If I don’t find any water soon, I’m going to crumble into dust. And that will not do.” She mused. She had given up doing calculations in her head trying to devise a way to get back to Tyria. She paused a moment, looking out over the desert.

“All this talk about the ‘eternal war in the Mists’ I kept hearing about. Well, where is it? Where is all this so called ‘fighting’? Hmph, let me guess, I landed in the most peaceful part of the Mists where no one ever travels?” she sighed deeply. An uneasy feeling suddenly washed over her. She slowly turned her head looking over her shoulder. Someone or something was watching her atop the nearby dune. Slowly reaching under her cloak, she undid the clasp on her pistol. Drawing the weapon, she turned quickly, pointing it at the top of the sand. Nothing was there. She quickly glanced around. Nothing.

“No, not this time.” she quipped as she started climbing the dune. Reaching the top, she found an area where the sand had been disturbed. She looked for any tracks leading anywhere, but there were none.

“It burrowed?” she asked to herself as she slowly backed away from the immediate area. “I’ve got to be…” She was knocked off her feet as the sand seemed to erupt from under her. She rolled into a kneeling position and fired off two shots at the giant sand worm that was now looking over her. Both rounds hit the worm center of mass. It let out a deafening screech and withdrew back under the sand. That’s when she heard the low rumbling. Looking about briefly, the sand seemed to be alive.

“Pale mother! There’s more!” she went racing down the dune hoping to make it to a rocky outcropping not far away. The ground erupted behind her as she ran as fast as she could.

“That blasted teleporter would be handy right now!” she yelled. She made it to the boulders at the base of the outcropping and started climbing as fast as she could, the worms nipping at her heels. She climbed to the highest point she could reach before looking at the cluster of writing beasts below.

“Shoo! Go away!” she yelled down at them. “Stupid worms…don’t you have any birds to feed!?” Looking over the area, a look of disgust crossed her face. “Just great. Now I’m stuck up here!” She sat on the rocks in a heap as the worms twisted and swirled about below.

“They’ll leave soon enough.” A gruff voice said behind her. She spun around to her feet with her pistol drawn. Facing her a few yards away was an aged centaur holding a simple looking wooden staff, his long gray mane settled over his shoulders. 

“Who are you!?” she commanded. The centaur’s eyes narrowed, He started walking towards her, his staff periodically touching the ground much like a cane.

“I’m not here to harm you, young Ceara.”

“Young Ceara? How do you know my name!?” she asked, still pointing the pistol at him. He walked up beside her and looked over the edge. He held his staff in the air and the worms slowly burrowed back under the sand.

“Nice trick. Now I asked you how…”

“Ceara of the Grove. Secondborn of the Pale Tree.” He stated cutting her off. “I have watched you since before you were born. You seem to have made quite a name for yourself in the land of Tyria…Scarlet Briar.” He turned and started walking away from her.

“You could say that but now answer my question. Who are you?”

“The worms won’t bother you for now. But you should get moving. It won’t be long before they return.” A shot rang out as a bullet buzzed past him.

“The only lasting peace is the peace within your own soul, child.” He stated. Ceara looked at him as he walked away, a slow realization crossing her mind. “All things have a right to grow. Even one as spiteful as yourself. Even the weeds will blossom if you give them time.”

“Ventari?” she gasped disbelieving, her mouth agape. “You’re…Ventari? You…you helped protect the Pale Tree?”

“I did. Your Mother Tree…that you dismissed.” 

“I didn’t.…” She was cut off as Ventari struck his staff to the ground, sending out a shockwave that knocked her off her feet. He turned towards her.

“Child, I respect your decision to follow your own path in life. In fact, I admire it. That you, Sylvari, took fate into your own hands and determined your own path.” He started walking towards her in a determined gait “But you turned your back on your Mother Tree. You rejected my teachings. You ignored the warnings and you let evil blossom in your soul!” his voice powerful and booming. She looked up at him, feeling his gaze pierce into her soul, but at the same time she sensed a feeling of disappointment from him.

“I watched you in the dream before you were born. I watched as your intellect grew beyond every sylvari before you, and none after you have matched it. I had hoped that you would be a leader, one to lead the sylvari as a grand people, to help and teach those that were born after you. To help the sylvari take their place alongside other races on the grand stage of Tyria.” He closed his eyes, sighing heavily. “What a disappointment.”

“Hmph. I’m sorry I didn’t live up to your expectations.” She replied snidely.

“Not once did you consider the outcome of your actions, nor did you care.” He continued. 

“I was searching for knowledge!” she retorted, raising her voice, getting to her feet.

“Knowledge? Of what precisely?”

“I wanted…wanted to learn how the workings of nature all worked together. How all the systems fit together and…”

“By viewing the very fabric of reality.” He turned away from her. “And did you find what you were looking for, child?”

“I found…” her voice cut off, choked by a feeling in her chest. She didn’t know what it was or what was happening. Regret was it? Anxiety? Possibly. She looked at the ground. “I found …madness.” She continued, her voice trailing off. 

“Indeed.” He replied. He held his staff in the air, causing the air around them to stir. The scenery changed. The desert replaced by the arena in the Crown Pavilion. Ceara found herself in the middle of the Queen’s Jubilee watching herself taunt the Pact Commander. The scene quickly faded to a scene of herself in the spore tower, which then faded to the battle of the Marionette. For a few moments, she was bombarded with images from her time under Mordremoth’s control. The final moment, the desert sand swirled in front of her and the ghostly version of herself appeared. 

“No!” Ceara jumped back and raised her pistol. The ghost raised its hand up in front of it, and a ghostly image of a worm like dragon erupted form the ground, wrapping itself around Scarlet before facing Ceara, opening its mouth in a great roar.

“Your madness awakened the jungle dragon.” He tapped his staff on the ground. The scenery changed again. It was the Grove. Everything was on fire; the Pale Tree’s branches were gnarled and misshapen and there were strange plant like creatures everywhere.

“This…this is the Grove.” She gasped, looking around, her eyes wide. “What’s…what’s happening?” She started to feel anxious, staring up at the Pale Tree, it’s form dark and twisted.. She remembered the dream she had before waking in the mender’s home. “Why is the Grove like this?”

“This is your home. What it would become. The Sylvari will become slaves to the jungle dragon.” He paused, looking over his shoulder at her, his eyes narrow. “Much like yourself.” The scene faded. “Your ambition to toy with powers greater than you could imagine caused you to become the very thing you claimed you would never be. You opened your mind to the jungle dragon and he gladly took the invitation. He planted the seed that would consume you and now Tyria will pay the price yet again.”

“The seed…” she said quietly.

“Yes, it became a part of you. When your mind fragmented, it latched on to as much of your psyche as it could, devouring you.

“I tried to fight back.”

“You did, and you might have beaten it had it not started drawing power from the very thing that created it. It grew and consumed you.”

“It became me…”

“Yes. The more power it consumed, the stronger it became. It developed its own sentience. A more twisted version of yourself.” He held his staff in the air and the scenery changed yet again “You and the being that now calls itself ‘Scarlet Briar’ are more connected than you realize, child.” Ceara found herself standing in the command center of the Breachmaker, the whole scene of her final moments in the battle played out before her. “When you were at deaths door, this madness, left you. It took part of your mind and soul with it.” She watched as a ghostly apparition of herself appeared very briefly from her body before disappearing. The scene faded back to the desert.

“That was…that thing…it was…”

“Your own insanity.”

She stared at the sand where the image appeared, her thoughts on how her madness had tormented her, dwelling on the things she had done. A swirl of emotions filled her head. She felt angry, sadness, determination. Ventari glared at her, sensing something changing within her.

“Where did it go?” she finally asked, looking at him. 

“The Dream of Dreams.” He replied. “It draws its power from the Dream now.”

“But if it was born from Mordremoth, why would it need the Dream?”

“When it was inside your mind, it fed off his energy. When he awoke, he did not need you anymore.

“So…it went to the next available source.” Ceara said, lost in thought. Ventari nodded.

“You may feel yourself complete without it, but it is not complete without you.” He stated.

“That’s why it talked of “being back together”.

“Yes.”

“I can’t allow that. What happened before…What it is doing now…It’s running amok in Tyria and I have to get back there. It…has some plan to make that dragon stronger!” Ceara exclaimed. Ventari slightly tilted his head.

“It’s not like you to be concerned about Tyria, child.” He said slightly puzzled. Even Ceara herself was caught offguard by her statement. She closed her eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath.

“I…” Ceara was at a loss for words. She had never been concerned with the state of the world before. She didn’t care. But now, things were different. She felt different. “Anyway, I need to figure out how to end that ghost or whatever it is.”

“That ghost, child…is you. If you destroy it, then you may destroy yourself as well.”

“So that’s it? I was saved by that mender just so I could die anyway?”

“That is the risk you must take, child.”

“I’m not a child.” She stated. Ventari snorted his frustration. He continued walking.

“Wait!” she ran up beside him. “So how do I get back to Tyria?”

“There are numerous portals throughout the Mists that lead back to Tyria.” He replied.

“But how do I find them?”

“Ceara of the Grove. You were born the most intelligent of all the Pale Trees children. Surely you can find your answer.” He said slightly amused. “Perhaps you could ask your friend.”

“Friend?”

“Yes, the one with the floating vessel. Mai Trin is her name, yes?”

“Mai Trin!? She’s here??”

“It appears so. She holds up in her vessel on the far edge of the Mists.”

Ceara thought for a moment. “It might not be in my best interests to contact her.”

“And why is that?” he asked.

“I’m not the same person I was before when we worked together. Though, I may be able to sweet talk her into helping me.”

“Scarlet was controlling your mind.”

“Yes, and I…she…it…kind of left her at the mercy of the Lionguard the last I knew.”

“You betrayed her.”

“Scarlet betrayed her. It wasn’t me!”

“But you suffer the retribution for Scarlet’s actions.” He stated. Ceara fell silent. “Your search for knowledge is admirable, child. It is the learning the curiosity of the unknown that drives us forward. From learning the simplest task to trying to divine the workings of life itself.”

“Mother tried to stop me.”

“But you didn’t heed the warning.” He replied. “Now all Sylvari will pay the price for your insolence.” Ceara paused a moment and glared at him.

“I tried calling for help!”

“By then it was too late. Scarlet consumed you. Your actions allowed her to awaken Mordremoth.”

“She didn’t consume me.”

“Oh, she didn’t?” He paused looking over his shoulder. Ceara slowly walked up beside him.

“I allowed myself…I…gave in. I gave up.” She said quietly. He glared at her. “I couldn’t beat my insanity. Fighting for my own mind. I couldn’t win. It became too much.” She paused as a tear ran down her cheek. She turned away. “The madness…Not knowing what I was, what was happening. I wasn’t in control of myself. I felt it all slipping away piece by piece.” She paused again, wiping the tears away. “I’m sorry.” She said, choking back the grief that was forming in her chest.

Ventari breathed in deeply. “So, child…” he started. She looked up at him. “What will you do?”

“I have to get back to Tyria to stop that monster.”

“And how will you do that?”

“I…I don’t know, but I have to find a way. I have to try!”

“Even if it destroys you?”

Ceara paused a moment, a look of determination across her face. “Yes.”

“Then come with me, child.”

————————————————————————————————–

Amaranda, Failynne, and the two wardens sat in a small room set off from the main Seraph office. Across from them was a plain wooden desk with a quill, a bottle of ink and some papers. Amaranda studied the few small pieces of artwork that hung on the wall. 

“How long are they going to keep us in here?” Warden Aed said solemnly. 

“Longer than they need to.” Tapani replied. Failynne nodded her head as she leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees. They could hear Sgt Connery’s voice outside the door just before he opened the door, entering the room. He shut the door and paused a moment looking over the group before sitting at the desk.

“As most of you know, I am Sgt. Ramus Connery of the Divinity’s Reach Seraph. And as you all well know, there was an incident last night at the Crown Pavilion, as well as a similar incident today that injured some of our ministers as well as some guards. Two of you were present during those incidents. He turned towards Amaranda, looking over his glasses. “Miss, your name please?”

“Amaranda.” She replied, somewhat agitated. 

“Amaranda,” Connery repeated as he wrote her name on a parchment. “So…Amaranda. Tell me what happened at the Pavilion last night, please.”

“Scarlet Briar attacked us!” Amaranda stated. 

“Us? Who was with you?”

“Ceara.”

“And who is Ceara?”

“Another sylvari.”

“And where is this Ceara now?

“Scarlet threw her through some kind of portal.”

“Is that what caused the explosion?”

“No, sir. The explosion happened before she attacked us.”

“Ok. So, what does this Ceara look like?”

Amaranda paused a moment, looking at Failynne, who returned her look, nodding lightly. Sighing heavily, Amaranda closed her eyes. “Scarlet Briar.”

Connery paused, looking at the group. “But you said Scarlet Briar attacked you?”

“Yes.”

“So you are saying this Ceara attacked you?”

“No no.” Amaranda paused in frustration, taking deep breath. 

“Ok, explain to me everything that happened last night.” He ordered. Amaranda reconstructed the events of the prior night as Connery continued to take notes. 

“So…what you are telling me is…this…Ceara, who happens to look like Scarlet Briar assaulted you first…but then this ghost of another Scarlet Briar appeared and seemingly taunted you, after which you followed it to the Pavilion, where it took control of the Watchknights, set off a large blast of energy, attacked the two of you, tossed Ceara through a rift, and then you blacked out.”

“Yes.”

“Ok.” He paused looking over his notes, then turned to Failynne. “Now, Warden, you had a similar incident happen to you today, correct?”

“Yes, Sergeant.”

“Please explain what happened.” Failynne recounted the events from earlier in the day. After finishing writing his notes, Connery set his quill down, removed his glasses and sat back in his seat scanning over the sylvari in front of him. 

“You do realize the Shining Blade will be involved with this, if they aren’t already?”

“I’m aware, Sergeant.” Failynne replied. 

“If Scarlet Briar is within the walls of this city…again…”

“I know, Sergeant.” Failynne interrupted him. 

“I will return momentarily.” He said as he gathered up his notes. He stood from his desk, looking over the Sylvari one more time before turning to the door.

“Ceara isn’t evil.” He heard Amaranda say behind him as he walked out, shutting the door behind him. A collective sigh swept over the group.

“This is why humans take so long to get things done.” Tapani spoke up, sounding displeased. 

“Indeed. We’re doing nothing but wasting time here.” Failynne replied. 

“You would think they would be searching the city high and low for Scarlet.” Aed, the other warden, said. 

Failynne nodded. “After what I saw, I don’t think the Shining Blade will be able to stop her. She’s different. She’s not really a ghost.”

“Some kind of entity.” Amaranda added. 

“Yes.” Failynne agreed.

“I don’t think she is in the city anymore.” Amaranda said, staring thoughtfully at the desk. 

“You believe so?” Failynne asked.

“I do. She has no reason to stay here. She got what she wanted.”

“Where do think she went?”

“I don’t know…but I think…I think if we find Ceara, we’ll find Scarlet.”

“You said Ceara isn’t evil?”

“She not. She’s in a lot of pain. Pain from what happened to her. I could feel it.

“What do we do if we find her?”

Amaranda took a deep breath before replying. “I don’t know.”

—————————————————————————————————

Sgt. Connery closed the door behind him as he exited his small office. He glanced over at the mishappen aetherblade rifle that lay on the table nearby. 

“Sam.” He called to his subordinate. 

“Yes sir?” Sam replied. 

“I was hoping we would be done with Scarlet Briar after Lion’s Arch.” 

“Sir?” Sam asked inquisitively. 

“Instead of having a terrorist on the loose in the city, we now have a ghostly terrorist running around the city.” Connery said, rubbing his forehead.

“Should I alert the Shining Blade, sir?”

“No, I’m sure they already know.”

——————————————————————————————————-

Ceara didn’t know how long they had been walking across the desert. Her skin and foliage had dried out immensely and her feet were killing her. Not to mention she was hungry again and extremely thirsty. Ventari had been completely silent during their journey, seemingly ignoring her prattling.

“Will you please just answer my questions and tell me where we are going? At least let me ride on your back for a while so I can rest a bit.” She was agitated, upset and out of breath.

“We are almost to our destination.” He finally responded.

“You finally remember how to talk! Amazing! And just where in Tyria exactly might we be? There is nothing out here but sand.” she protested. As Ventari reached the crest of the next dune, he pointed.

“There.” He said. “We have arrived.” Ceara hobbled up beside him and her jaw dropped. There was a small oasis not far away.

“Oh, thank the pale mother!” she gasped.

“How ironic…“ Ventari said quietly.

“What?”

He looked down at her. “You thank your very mother, whom you turned your back on.”

“Oh, come off it!” she raised her voice. “I didn’t…I didn’t turn my back on her!”

“Oh, you didn’t it? Then tell me, Child. What did you do?”

She gritted her teeth at being called ‘child’. “I lived my life the way I wanted. I didn’t want to follow some “wyld hunt” that she set out for me. I told you that already.“

"Hm…” he snorted as he started walking down the dune.

“We sylvari should be able to choose our path in life. Not have to choose between the Dream or living in Nightmare.”

“Including gazing into the eyes of an elder dragon?”

“I didn’t know he was there!“

“The Pale Tree warned you not to go any further.”

Ceara was becoming increasingly frustrated to the point of screaming. “I wanted to learn! Is that such a crime!?” she screamed. Ventari kept walking. “Who are you to judge me!?”

“It is not my place to judge you, child.”

“Will you please stop calling me ‘child’!? I have a name!”

“And what is your name truly?”

“My name is…” She suddenly stopped herself. A wave of panic washed over her. The world knew her now as Scarlet Briar. Scarlet Briar that nearly brought Tyria to its knees. She shook her head and looked down at her hands. They were trembling. Ventari stopped and looked over his shoulder.

“Is it?” he asked, his eyes narrowing.

She shook her head again. “No. No it isn’t.” She felt scared. Scared of herself. She hadn’t felt frightened like this in a very long time. Not since the nightmares from years before. She lowered her head.

“What…what is happening to me?” she asked. Images flashed through her mind. Images of her life before and after the Eternal Alchemy. “Why am I being tormented?”

“This isn’t torment, child. It’s showing you the error of your ways.” Ventari responded continuing to walk towards the Oasis. “All your life in your pursuit of knowledge, learning everything you possibly could, with blatant disregard for anything and anyone that got your way. You didn’t care who you stepped on to get to your goals.” Ceara closed her eyes and tried to focus. She breathed heavily, trying to regain her composure.

“I just like to get things done and get results” she stated, as she finally got herself calmed down. “And I never once hurt anyone before…” she paused.

“Before the eternal alchemy” he finished, reaching the edge of the oasis.

“Before Mordremoth…” her voice trailing off as she thought back to that fateful day. She thought of Omadd and his assistants.

“It hurts now, does it not?” he asked. “Everything you have done.”

She closed her eyes, feeling the tears welling up. “At the time, I didn’t concern myself with anyone. They were all just tools to help me get what I wanted. And then the Eternal Alchemy broke me. I lost control slowly. It was overbearing.” 

“And Tyria suffered.”

“Lion’s Arch paid the price.”

“And you?”

“And I should have paid the price.

“But you didn’t. A loan soundless mender cared enough about you to save your life.”

“Yes…” she said quietly.

“And now, young Ceara.” He started. “You have a second chance at life. To forge a new path. To try to correct the mistakes of the past.”

“Is that possible? For me?”

“The Dream makes all things possible.” He said in a familiar tone.

“Heh, you sound like Mother.” she said kneeling by the water. Cupping her hands, she dipped them into the water and sipped.

“Ah, so refreshing. she gasped. She looked at her reflection in the water, a tired face looked back at her. “I could feel my foliage wilting.” She continued to drink from the pond. “So how far away is the nearest portal?” she asked. There was no answer. “Ventari?” she turned, but the centaur was nowhere to be found. She realized everything was very still and extremely quiet. “What’s going on?” she said, now on edge. A golden glow appeared to wash over her. She turned to see the Avatar of the Pale Tree floating above the middle of the pond.

“Mother?” she asked cautiously.

“My child.” The Pale Tree responded. “Please come home. Where you can be safe.”

Ceara eyes narrowed. “Mother, why are you here? In the Mists?”

“To bring you home, my child.”

“No…” Ceara muttered, slowly shaking her head. “This doesn’t feel right.” She looked at the Pale Tree suspiciously, while slowly moving her hand to her pistol.

“My child, why do you resist? Come with me. I can bring you peace.” She opened her eyes and gave Ceara a slight gentle smile. She raised her hand in front of her in a gentle motion, opening her hand towards Ceara. A blinding white light filled the area. When her vision cleared, Ceara found herself standing in the Omphalos chamber, the Pale Tree in its alcove before her.

“You see, my child. I have brought you home. You can stay here, and never be tormented again.” Ceara looked around. A few sylvari were about in the chamber. Two wardens stood guard by the Pale Trees alcove. A young sapling tended to some sylvan pups. A teacher instructed a group of young saplings near Ventari’s tablet.

“This…this is too perfect.” Ceara thought. She cautiously approached the teacher, carefully listening to his lecture, her hand on her pistol.

“And what of Ventari’s 4th tenant?” he asked the group. A female sapling quickly raised her hand in the air. He gestured to her.

“Mordremoth will consume you.” She growled a deep bellowing voice.

“Very good.” The teacher responded. Ceara gasped and instantly drew her pistol, turning towards the Pale Tree. She fired a shot, but the Pale Tree smiled and vanished just as the bullet embedded itself in the wood of the alcove. The two wardens drew their weapons and rushed her. She felt herself grabbed from behind.

“The teacher!” she gasped as the saplings grabbed her, forcing her to the ground. One knocked the pistol from her hand. The Pale Tree reappeared in front of her, flanked by the wardens. She knelt and gently grabbed Ceara’s chin with her long thorn tipped fingers.

“Welcome home, my child.” She smiled. Ceara looked at the Pale Tree and spit in her face.

“You are not the mother tree!” Ceara spat defiantly. The Pale Tree wiped its face and glared at Ceara. “Oooohh….” Ceara said quietly. “Corporal form. That means you can bleed.” She said while smiling somewhat whimsically.

“You will pay for your insolence.” The Pale Tree growled.

“I’ve paid enough already.” Ceara responded. She bucked her right arm in the grasp of the sapling just enough to smack the back of her hand against its body, setting off the switch for the electrostatic discharger mounted in her pack. Electricity arced over her, knocking the saplings away. She got to her feet, trying her best to hide the fact that she herself also got somewhat of a shock as well.

“I’ll need to fix that as soon as possible.” She thought to herself. “Now monster…” she said taking a deep breath, “let’s finish this.” One of the guards lunged at her. She clumsily sidestepped, diving for her pistol at the same time. Rolling to her knee, she fired a shot at the other guard, dropping him in a heap. She was then knocked to the ground by the first guard. She wildly swung the pistol at him, catching him in the side of the head, knocking his helmet off. She gasped at the visage that was revealed. His face was monstrous, something she remembered from her nightmares. She wasted no time sticking her pistol under the creature’s chin and pulling the trigger. Pushing the body aside as it slumped on top of her, she got to her feet and turned to the Pale Tree.

“Don’t you see, dear Ceara. You can’t escape. You, like myself, are of Mordremoth. We belong to him. He is…”

“Not my father!” Ceara shouted, cutting the Pale tree off. “And you…you are not the mother tree. You…you’re a monster. A construct. Created in my own mind by that dragon. Used to control me.” She paused. “But now…you’re nothing. So drop the façade, charlatan! Show yourself!”

“Dear Ceara…” The Pale Tree started, closing its eyes. It smiled. “Why do you resist me?” it asked, opening its eyes, revealing the black eyes of the ghost. She held her right arm out to her side and opened her palm. Vines grew from her forearm, twisting and turning, forming into a thorn covered version of the greatsword Calabolg. Smiling, she disappeared.

“Again, with the tricks!” Ceara shouted. She turned as she heard a low growling from behind her. The sylvan pups had morphed into a monstrous flowerlike appearance. More creatures from her nightmares. Even the pup tender had changed form. She brought her pistol up and shot one of the pups in the head, dropping it. The other lunged at her, missing her as she sidestepped.

“Come back to us, my dear.” Scarlet’s voice, now an amalgam of her own and the Pale trees, echoed throughout the chamber. “You can have the power to do anything you want. Be anything you want.”

“No. I won’t be a slave to you, to that dragon, to anything. Never again! Show yourself! Quit hiding behind illusions!” The Pale Tree appeared right in front of her with the sword raised in the air.

“Thorns!” Ceara exclaimed. She barely dodged the attack, losing her footing and rolling on the ground. The monstrous pup jumped on her, growling and nipping at her face. She managed to shove the pup off her to see the Pale Tree standing over her. Ceara pointed her pistol, but it was knocked out of her hand by the sword.

“You have always been a thorn in my side, Ceara” The Pale Tree growled. “But now it’s time.” The Pale Tree raised the sword above her.

“I don’t think so.” Ceara kicked one of the Pale Trees legs out from under her, causing her to fall. She crawled over to her pistol and spun around, bringing it upon the Pale Tree and pulled the trigger. *Click*…nothing. “Are you serious!?” she yelled looking at the weapon. She threw the gun at the Pale Tree and bolted for the far side of the chamber. The Pale Tree knocked the weapon away easily and proceeded to charge after her.

“Please don’t run, my child! I have such wonderful things to show you!”

“You showed me enough already when you were in my head!” Ceara yelled back. Ceara reached one of the ledges on the edge of the Omphalos chamber and looked out over the Grove. She was stunned by what she saw. The Pale Tree’s branches were twisted and gnarled, and each branch was adorned with birthing pods, some in clusters of two or three. She watched in horror as the Grove was filled with the monstrous creatures from her nightmares, moving and working around the area.

“You see, dear Ceara. This is what we are meant to be.” Her own voice spoke behind her.

“It’s…it’s a literal birthing factory…”

“Yes. This is what your Mother Tree would truly be had she not broken free of his will so early in her life. A birthing center for the children of Mordremoth. His army to conquer all of Tyria. Once he has fully awakened and reached full power…this…this will become reality.”

“All my life I searched for the ways and means of how life itself worked. I thought I could manipulate the world, change the rules so that we could live our lives as ourselves. This…this is not what I imagined…”

“It is beautiful, isn’t it? What you will have wrought upon the world.”

Ceara looked over her shoulder to see her own face looking back at her. She glanced down at the sword; the thorn covered vines that created the hilt writhing in Scarlets grasp.

“Now…come…“ Scarlet spoke holding out her hand to Ceara. “Come back to us.” Ceara thought for a moment, turning away to look out over the nightmarish scene. Images flashed through her mind. Images of the Grove, of Caledon Forest. Places she sought solitude to distance herself from others. Faces of the few friends she did make in her days as a sapling. The people she met in her travels. Her teachers. The Pale Tree, who never turned her back on her.

“Even in all my time I sought to stay away from everyone, not to be bothered by anyone while I worked, they all still cared in some way, in some form. And in my work, I would have destroyed them. Even…even the Pale Tree…” Ceara closed her eyes as a tear rolled down her cheek. She balled her hands up as her chest felt heavy.

“You…you need me…” Ceara said softly as she turned and looked at Scarlet in the eyes. “Without me, you can’t exist. Without me…none of this will exist.“ Ceara paused. “I need to end you.”

Scarlet closed her eyes and smiled. “You cannot end me. To destroy me means you would destroy yourself.”

Ceara looked at the ground, lost in thought. “Is this the only way?” she asked softly. She sighed deeply, shaking her head slowly. Long moments passed as she stared at the ground, trying to figure a way out.

“There is no other way for you.” Her doppelganger said quietly. “Now, come. Mordremoth awaits.” Ceara took a deep breath as she looked at her adversary and slowly reached out for Scarlet’s hand. Scarlet’s smile grew. Ceara slightly pulled her hand away. 

“I’d rather die than let this come to pass.”

“What!?” Scarlet was caught off guard as Ceara grabbed her by the bodice of her armor and drove her forehead into Scarlet’s nose. She reeled back, dropping the sword.

“Ow…” Ceara whimpered as she felt her eyes crossing, her blood trickling down from her forehead. She cleared her vision and saw Scarlet faltering. She picked up the sword and cried in pain as the vines from the hilt wrapped around her hand and arm, driving their thorns into her flesh. Scarlet looked up and saw what had happened.

“No…What are you doing?” she asked. Ceara looked at her, raised the sword up and drove it through her abdomen.

“NO!” Scarlet shouted as Ceara fell backwards over the ledge. As she fell towards the level below, the ground opened, letting her pass through. This continued for each level until she hit the water at the bottom of the Grove. She opened her eyes and gasped for air. Her breathing heavy, she looked around and saw she was laying in the pond in the oasis. She felt her chest and stomach for any sign of the sword or a wound, but there was nothing. She looked at Ventari, who was standing on the edge of the water, watching her. She stared at him a moment, before getting up to stand. She slowly made her way to the waters edge, retrieving her pistol from the sand. Checking the chamber, it was empty. She sighed and put it in its holster. She walked slowly along the water’s edge towards Ventari, lost in thought about what she saw, a swirl of emotions dancing through her head.

“So…what in the name of the mother tree was that?” she asked him sternly.

“Hmm…the mother tree?” he asked back. She stared at him. He glanced at her with narrowed eyes. He could feel something different about her. “What did you see?”

“I saw…I saw that monster masquerading as the Pale Tree. I was in the Grove. It was…it was like a factory. A birthing center for sylvari.”

“Not sylvari.” He interrupted. “For mordrem. The troops of the dragon’s army.”

“The creatures from my nightmares…”

“Indeed. That is what the Sylvari will become should things come to pass.” He looked down at her. “You’ve changed, young Ceara, whether you realize it or not.” She looked up at him. “You sacrificed yourself to end the nightmare that will come. One brought on while you were under the thrall of Mordremoth. That’s something you would have never thought of doing before.”

“Yes…” her face dropped. Ventari turned to look out over the water.

“She still cares for you, as a mother would.”

“She knows I’m alive?”

Ventari nodded slowly. “She does…” he said quietly. “Your connection to the Dream, ever so brief as it was, did not go unnoticed that day.”

“Come home, my child…” Ceara spoke. “I heard her…” She looked at the ground, a swirling mix of emotions going through her mind, her chest was heavy again.

“Mother…” she said, her voice raspy and broken by the feelings welling up in her chest. Images of the past flashed through her mind. Never before had she been concerned with the Pale Tree, choosing to live her life away from the Grove to avoid having any interaction with it. But now things felt different, and she didn’t know why.

“Young Ceara…” He said, reaching down, tenderly touching her chin. Ceara instinctively jerked away from his touch, before looking up at him, a tear rolling down her cheek. “A slight spark of anger in your chest.” He continued. “A small light of passion. Passion for someone you turned away from the moment you were born.” She closed her eyes as he gently wiped away the tear. “It’s not too late for you, child.” He continued. “What will you do?”

She opened her eyes and looked at him. “I need to stop that thing. I need to get back to Tyria and destroy it.” She stated, choking back the tears. Ventari nodded slightly. “I need to find a portal. A rift. Anything.”

“That which you seek has been in front of you the whole time.”

“What!?” she exclaimed.

Ventari looked out over the pond. “Open your eyes, Ceara.”

She turned towards the pond. “I see noth…” She paused as the air above the water of the oasis started to shimmer. Electricity crackled through the air as a rift slowly appeared above the center of the pond.

“Hurry, child. Or you may be trapped here in the Mists forever. I’m sure Mai Trin would be happy to have your company again.”

“Tell her I said hello!” Ceara replied as she dove into the water.

“Try not to drown, child.” Ventari said as she swam as fast as she could.

“Almost there.” She thought as the current of the water shifted creating a vortex flowing towards the rift. She allowed herself to be launched through. 

Ventari stood on the side of the pond, watching as the portal closed. “My dear Pale Tree…your child has returned home. She is in your hands now.” He turned and walked from the pond, fading from sight.


	7. Death Still Hunts You

_Sometimes life gives us a new perspective_

“Ok, you three are free to go. You will be escorted to the gate.” Sergeant Connery said to Amaranda and the two young wardens. “But Captain, you’ll need to stay here for now.”

“We’ve told you everything we know!" Failynne protested. “Tyria is in grave danger. There is an elder dragon out there growing stronger as we speak, and you are not helping the situation by keeping us here!”

“The pact can handle the dragon. We’re dealing with a situation here in the city!" He barked back at her. 

Failynne turned to Amaranda. “Tell mother that I'll be back as soon as I can." Failynne glared at the sergeant.

“I will.” Amaranda nodded as she and the two sylvari gathered their things and were escorted from the office. They were quietly marched to the Asura gate on the palace grounds. Amaranda sighed as she entered the warp gate. They exited the other side of the gate into the Grove, a look of disgust about Amaranda’s face. “Ugh. I hate those things. They always make my innards turn.” She cursed. “Remind me to thank Failynne when she finally returns. Without her, I feel the Seraph would have kept us in that awful city forever.” she said to the two young wardens behind her. She wasted no time rushing to the Omphalos chamber, where the Avatar of the Pale Tree was waiting for her.

“Mother! I have urgent news!”

“Amaranda. You have returned, my child. Tell me, what information have you found?”

“Mother, Ceara…she is alive. She lives. I saw her at the Crown Pavilion in Divinity’s Reach.”

“The Pale Tree breathed a sigh of relief. “This is excellent news, my child. Tell me, is she still in the thrall of madness?”

“No, mother. She’s...she's not Scarlet Briar anymore. Scarlet Briar is..." Amaranda was lost in thought for a moment. “She’s...something else. A ghost, a spirit of some sort. Full of so much hate and evil.

The Pale Tree pondered a moment. “Ceara and Scarlet Briar are now separate beings. This is troublesome. What is it now that this spirit craves?”

“The spirit was…acting very oddly. As if she was afflicted with Ceara’s madness."

“Or perhaps the spirit is Ceara's madness. And that has somehow manifested itself into a separate entity.” the Pale Tree said thoughtfully.

“But…how could that happen?” Amaranda asked.

“It is unknown what Ceara saw or experienced when she was attached to the Asuran device. Only that it shattered her mind. She fought to preserve her own sanity, but sadly she lost in the end.”

“And her madness took over?”

“Indeed, and it seems to somehow gain its own sentience.” The Pale Tree added.

“So it is this spirit that is corrupting the Dream. Not Ceara."

“It would appear so, my child. But the questions remain…what does it want? And why is it doing it?”

“Mother, it created a memory echo of the battle at the Pavilion. It somehow absorbed all the chaotic energy created by the echo. It captured Ceara and seemed to want to merge with her. But something happened. It was hurt somehow, something stopped it. That’s when it threw Ceara into some kind of rift.” Amaranda explained.

“A rift? Do you know where it led?"

“No mother. So much was happening. We tried to run.” Amaranda paused. "Mother, it talked of helping someone it called ‘father’” The Pale Tree fell silent and closed her eyes. “Mother, it said that we would all fall to Mordremoth. That it plans to help him become even more powerful. How do we stop this spirit?”

“This is grave news indeed, my child. Perhaps the way to stop her is to study the very thing that created her.”

“Mother, that could take years. Ceara is possibly the most intelligent of all Sylvari in such matters, but it took her months of studying if the stories are true.”

“Perhaps we aren’t meant to, but those that taught her may offer some insight.”  


“You mean the professor that attached her to the machine? But he was slain by her own hands, was he not?”

"Yes, he was, but he was not the only teacher she had.”  


Amaranda closed her eyes and sighed. “Very well, Mother. I shall leave for Rata Sum immediately.” She bowed to the Pale Tree and turned to leave.

“Be safe, my child. May you find the information we seek.”  


“Thank you, Mother.” The Pale Tree watched as Amaranda entered the seed pod that took her back to the lower levels of the Grove.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“WHAAAAAA!!!” Ceara screamed as she fell out of the portal into a group of bushes, water pouring over her a few seconds more before the rift closed. She quickly got to her feet and looked around. 

“The Pavilion…I’m back in DR…in the middle of the day…Thorns!” She quickly pulled the hood of her cloak up. 

“It sounded like it came from over here.” A voice in the distance said.

“Oh no…” She looked around for a place to hide while trying to conceal her face. She darted behind another small set of bushes near a sculpture. Peeking through the leaves, she saw two Seraph approaching. 

“I’ve got to get out of here. If I’m caught, I’m toast.” She thought. The Seraph stopped at the bushes where she had landed. 

“Looks like water. A whole lot of it.” One of them noted. They both looked up at the next level of the city. 

“You think old man Martin threw his laundry water over the edge again?”

“I don’t know. That looks like an awful lot of water for just laundry.”

“Yeah it does. Maybe a water line broke?”

“Possibly. But I don’t think there are any lines up there.”

“Excuse me sirs.” They heard nearby. They both turned to see a middle-aged man walking towards them carrying some gardening tools.

“Yes?” one of the Seraph asked. 

“I live nearby and saw part of what happened here.”

“Oh? What did you see?”

“I was tending to the plants around my home when I heard what sounded like a large clap of thunder followed by what seemed to be the sound of a river and a high-pitched scream. When I turned, I saw water pouring from the sky, and I believe someone running from it. I thought maybe they got caught under it.”

“Were you able to see what the person looked like?”

“No sir. Only that they were wearing a dingy looking cloak.”

“Well, that describes half the people in the city. Thank you for your information.” One of the Seraph said to him, before turning to his partner. 

“Go on up there and check see if any water mains busted. And check on Martin. Poor guy, his life hasn’t been the same since his wife was killed in Lion’s Arch.” Ceara felt as if someone plunged a knife in her chest. She covered her mouth and held her breath. 

“I don’t have time for this. Not right now. I’ve got work to do.” She thought to herself. Taking a deep breath, she spied an elderly woman nearby walking towards one of the gates to the Pavilion. Ceara quickly darted for her, running up next to her and matching her gait. Ceara even bent over a little as she walked, mimicking the womans stride. 

"Excuse me, Miss. Would it be ok to walk with you for a while?" 

"Oh! I didn't see you come up. Of course! I could use the company. Tell me youngster, what is your name?”

Ceara thought for a moment. “It’s…Jin. My name is Jin.” She remembered the pirate woman in Bloodtide Coast.

“My that’s a pretty name. Tell me, Jin. How old are you?”

“I’m…I’m 23 cycles old.” Ceara replied nervously 

“23? Oh, you’re so young. I remember when I was 23, there was a man that we called Sparky that was quite the prankster. He once blew the manhole covers out of the street with one of his pranks. Made such a gods awful racket you could hear for city blocks." Ceara was only partially listening as she was constantly on the lookout as they slowly made their way out of the pavilion and into the Ossan Quarters section of the city. 

“That seems like a very explosive story.” She quipped.

“Oh, he was quite the fun one. And handsome too. If only I could have gotten my hands on him. Mmm…let me tell you.” The old woman replied. Ceara lightly smirked at the thought.

“Well, maybe one day you’ll get the chance.” Ceara commented before darting away down an alley. “Ok, out of the pavilion, now to get out of this city.” She cautiously made her way through the area, trying not to draw attention to herself, avoiding the Serpah at all costs. The Ossan Quarter was a section of Divinity’s Reach built to help refugees from Elona fleeing from the rule of the lich king Palawa Joko. It’s architecture greatly resembled the towns of the desert kingdom in its former glory. The time was midday and many people were out and about doing their daily chores or running errands. Guards were sparse in the area, which worked in her favor. Reaching the area of the Salma district, she realized sneaking through the area would be near impossible. The area was walled off with posted guards at each gate.

“Briars…” she whispered to herself. She sighed as she looked up the path to the next level of the city, an area that encircled the palace. “There will guards everywhere up there.” 

“You look fairly well for someone who is supposed to be dead.” a solemn voice said from behind her. Ceara slightly turned her head while slowly starting to walk away. “I know who you are…Ceara.” The voice said. Ceara froze for a moment, then slowly turned. Not too far away stood a Sylvari with dark blue skin dressed in formal human attire. 

“Who might you be?” she asked in a commanding tone. The Sylvari stepped forward, causing her to place her hand on her pistol under her cloak. He stopped, raising his hand and lightly waving it. 

“There’s no need for violence here, Ceara.” She glared at him. “I am Diarmad. I tend to the graveyard here in Divinity’s Reach. And you…you have somehow avoided death. A great feat indeed.” 

“So it would seem, now unless you have something to say, I need to be on my way.”

“Death still hunts you, Ceara. She’s waiting for your return.”

“Death? You mean…?”

“Oh yes. It paid me a visit recently. It warned me that I should start preparing the grounds. That things will soon change for all of us.”

“I won’t let it. It wants to feed Tyria to that jungle dragon.” Ceara replied. “I have to stop it…even if…well…you might be getting a new tenant in your graveyard soon.”

“I hope for your sake, it’s not you.” He replied.

“We’ll see, grave tender.” She turned and made her way up the path, walking at a normal pace. Reaching the end of the path, she froze. Four Seraph guards in the immediately vicinity. She did notice one thing that could work in her favor. The area was busy with commerce. There were people of all creeds everywhere.

“Well, this works.” Pulling her hood down to conceal her face as much as possible, she cautiously stepped out into the street and mingled into a group of people. 

“Do you think Lord Faren will be in when we arrive?” A voice caught Ceara’s attention. Slowly turning, she spied a small group of noble women standing near one of the gates to Salma District. 

“I do hope so. He promised to take us on a magnificent journey into the Maguuma Jungle to watch the Pact defeat the dragon there.”

“You would do well to avoid the jungle.” Ceara thought to herself. “But still…I…I want to take a magnificent journey with Lord Faren too.” She lowered her head as she stood in silence for a moment, thinking about what happened at the Queens Jubilee when she attacked it. Lightly kicking a rock, she turned slowly and continued on her way. Passing by a bread cart, the smell of the food went right to her stomach. 

“I have got to eat something.” She let out a sigh and approached the vendor.

“Yes, ma’am?” a tall dark skin human male asked. Ceara grabbed a large bread roll and held it up. 

“Fifty copper.” He told her. She fidgeted around in the satchels of her armor until she found a small coin pouch.

“Thank you.” She responded quietly as she laid the coins out on the counter. 

“Some strange things happening at the pavilion lately.” a voice spoke from behind her. She froze again, her heart in her throat. 

“Yeah. Not sure what it’s all about.” another replied.

“I have got to get out of this city.” she thought to herself as she quietly pushed her way through the crowd. It wasn’t long before the main gate to the city came into view. 

“Thank the pale tree, I’m almost there.” She veered out of the commerce area and down into the Rurikton district. “Better to stay out of that shopping area.” She thought to herself as she started tearing pieces of the loaf off to eat. Reaching the bottom of the walkway, the tavern known as the Maiden’s Whisper came into view. She paused momentarily as she slowly continued chewing on a piece of bread. 

“I could use some tea right now…” she thought. “Thorns…” She also spied an asura gate that took travelers to the town of Ebonhawke in the distance. “and I could leave for good and not come back.” She thought. “Except the gate would be heavily guarded. There is no way I would get passed them.” Sighing heavily, she continued on. She passed through the Kormir Plaza and entered into the Eastern Commons. The gates to the city were just on the southern end of the district. 

“Such a contrast from the rest of the city.” She thought to herself. The Eastern Commons was the poorest part of Divinity’s Reach. “Still, living in one of these simple houses would have been better than that cold damp cave under the Priory. At least I would have been warm.” She took in the surroundings as she walked cautiously through the streets. Citizens were out milling about, going about their daily lives. Every so often she would spot what seemed to be a shady exchange between individuals in the alleys between houses.

“I would think the Seraph would have a larger presence in this section of the city.” She muttered to herself, reading a sign above a doorway as she passed. “The Dead End? Heh, that’s what this whole part of the city seems like.” The sound of laughter inside could be heard with the sound of mugs clanging together. “At least someone is happy here.” As she approached an archway, she could see a small carnival set up in the open area beyond, with the walkway up to the gate area just passed a large tent. 

“This has been almost too easy.” She thought to herself as she passed through the archway. She felt uneasy, then she noticed the Seraph guards at the far end of the carnival area. “There they are. I’ll have to find another way.” She turned and stopped, a name plaque on a nearby house caught her eye. 

“Delaqua and Meade residence” she said to herself. “Delaqua…Delaqua…” She stood in thought for a moment, then it struck her. “That necromancer on the Breachmaker…and her lover princess. This is their home… I think.” Ceara had mixed emotions running through her head. She felt angry at the duo, but at the same time, she didn’t really blame them for fighting, for doing what they did. After all, she wasn’t in control of herself then. Grabbing a small stone from the ground, she walked up to the stoop in front of the house. She knelt down and scratched “I’m sorry. C.” into the step. Tossing the stone aside, she stood and turned to find a pistol pointed at her face. 

“Oh! Well hello!” She yelped. She quickly glanced at the person on the other end, a young man who was somewhat disheveled. Some of his clothes bore a striking resemblance to an Aetherblade uniform, however now tarnished and in disrepair. “And who might you be?” she asked.

“Scarlet Briar…” he said. 

“Um..no. That’s me. I asked who you are?” she quipped. She narrowed her eyes. “You do seem familiar.”

“I’m someone who fllowed you. Someone who believed the lies you told us.” He hissed at her. “You spoke of great power and riches beyond our dreams. And then you left us to the mercy of the Lionguard. And you died…supposedly. And yet, here you are.”

“Well, you know the old cliché. ‘The rumors of my death have been highly exaggerated”. She quipped again. “Now, what is it you want?”

“I’m going to get what’s rightfully mine. I’m going to turn you over to the Seraph, and the reward they’ll pay out…why I’ll be set for life. Be able to buy my own airship and leave this pathetic hovel.”

“Is that so? Tell me, boy. How did you find me?”

“I’ve shadowed you ever since you fell out of that...hole. Waiting for the perfect time to strike.”

“You could have easily struck me down with my back turned. Why didn’t you?”

“I wanted you to see it was one of your former followers. That it was me.”

“Heh, what makes you so sure they’ll give you a reward?”

“Enough with the questions. Move!” he shouted. 

“Boy, don’t you know nobody orders Scarlet Briar around?” she said defiantly. He struck her across the side of her face with the pistol. 

“I said move!” 

She felt her blood run down her cheek. She cut her eyes at him for an instant. Before he knew what was happening, he felt an electricity charge course through his body as she quickly knocked the gun away and struck him in the chest, knocking him back. He slumped on the ground in a heap, his body quivering as small arcs of electricity bounced over him. She picked up his pistol and grabbed him by his shirt and drug him out of sight. 

“I don’t have time for your games, boy. And I don’t have time for you.” She pointed the pistol at his forehead. “You should have left well enough alone.” She growled before pulling the trigger. The discharge of the bullet echoed off the walls of the alley. She leisurely checked the chamber of the pistol.

“Two rounds. That’s it? Anyway, I’ll be taking this as you don’t need it anymore.” she said angrily. There was a commotion stirring nearby. “Seems more attention was attracted than I wanted.” She dashed out of the opposite end of the alley away from the carnival crowd. 

“Time for a new plan.” She took a long path around the houses in the area and managed to get the street that would take her to the gates of the city. Known as the Dwayna Low Road, she could see the gate at the far end. “So close.” She thought to herself. “Just have to get passed those guard houses.” She took a deep breath and started walking. The road was filled with street vendors peddling their wares. Food, games, clothing, and entertainment. All there for the common civilians of the city. She weaved her way cautiously through the denizens of Divinity’s Reach until she neared the point where the road opened out into the Plaza of Dwayna before the city gates. She paused a moment, looking at the guard huts on both sides of the gate. She breathed deep and made sure her cloak concealed her as much as possible. She then hunched over and mimicked the old womans walk that she had met earlier and hobbled herself across the plaza.

“Miss, do you need some help passing through the gate to Shaemoor?” a voice called from one of the guard shacks. She froze for an instant.

“No, sir. No I do not. I’m quite fine but thank you for your kindness.” She said in the best elderly sounding tone she could muster. 

“Very well then. If you ever need any help, just ask.”

“Thank you, sonny.” She replied as she passed through the first gate. “Mother, if I get out of here alive…I…well, I don’t know what I would do.” She thought to herself. It wasn’t long before she made it through the outer gates and into the village of Shaemoor. She breathed a great sigh of relief. Continuing her hobbled gait, she waited until she was out of site of the guards at the outer gate before running off into the hills of Queensdale.


	8. She Was One of My Best Students

_Sometimes the future leads to the past_

“The hall of records is on sub level D of the college administration sector.” The golem spoke in an electronic voice.

“Ok, but how do I get there?” Amaranda asked it.

“Follow descending ramp D to Elevator 3C, then follow descending ramp B-“

“That doesn’t tell me anything!” she said raising her voice. “You asura have nothing marked here! How in Tyria does one find their way around in this city?” She slapped the information golem on top of its chassis.

“Alert…repeated assault will result in alerting the authorities.” It barked.

She closed her eyes and shook her head. “I hate these places.” She sighed. She looked around the immediate area. The Asura were everywhere, running about, showing off their latest inventions to each other, talking of gadgets and theories that Amaranda didn’t have the slightest knowledge about.

“Will someone please help me?” she asked out loud. “Anyone!?” Her pleas went seemingly ignored by the general populace. Sighing, she started walking through the city, looking for any other Sylvari, human or any other race that might be able to offer some assistance since it seemed the Asura were too preoccupied with anything and everything. It wasn’t long before she found a rampway that descended to the lower level of the city.

“The golem said descending ramp D…” she said to herself looking around for any kind of markings. There were none. “Well, I guess I’ll take my chances. I’ll either find what I’m looking for or I’ll be be lost in the bowels of this city forever.” she said as she walked down the ramp. The ramp exited out into what looked like a small market area.

“Oh, thank the pale tree!” she exclaimed as she spied two humans together near one of the stands. “Excuse me! I’d like to talk to you!” she exclaimed as she hurried over to them.

“Yes?” one asked turning towards her.

“I hope you can help me. I seem to be lost in this twisted maze of a city.”

One of the humans chuckled a little. Amaranda’s face went deadpan. “What is so funny?” she asked.

“It’s easy to get lost here. What are you looking for?” the other asked.

“I’m trying to find information on one of the students that studied here. I’m told that there is a ‘hall of records’ that would give me such information. Do you know where it might be?” The duo looked at each other momentarily with puzzled looks. They turned back and shrugged a little.

“I’m sorry, Miss, but we don’t know where that might be.” Amaranda’s glimmer of hope was quickly extinguished. Again, she closed her eyes and let out a sigh, slowly shaking her head. “Did you try one of the information golems?” one of them asked.

“Indeed, I did. It was of no help either.” she said walking away.

“I’ll help you” a gruff voice said from nearby. Amaranda turned to see an older Asura walking up to her.

“I thank you. Can you take me to the hall of records?”

“Indeed I can. Follow me.” He started walking away from her.

“Finally.” She sighed and followed behind him. “Can you tell me your name, kind sir?” she asked.

“Varvar.” he responded. “and yours?”

“Amaranda.”

“And what brought you to Rata Sum?”

“I’m on a search for information about one of the students that attended the schools here.”

“Oh?” He asked. “Well, who might this person be?”

“Well, My sister.”

He stopped walking, pausing for a moment before slowly turning towards her. “Sister?”

“Yes, sister-”

“There’s only been one Sylvari who attended these colleges.” He interrupted, a look of disdain on his face.

“I know, and…she’s…”

“She tried to fit a square block into a round hole and it drove her mad. Why are you looking for her information? You should know everything about her already, shouldn’t you?”

“I need to find her teacher.”

“Omadd is dead.” He responded.

“Yes, I know. But she had others. Please help me. It’s very important.”

He nodded his head and took a deep breath. “Ok, come on.”

“She wasn’t a bad person before…” Amaranda started. “She just…just…just got lost somewhere…”

“On her way to the Eternal Alchemy, and ‘lost’ is an understatement, but I’ll take your word for it.” Varvar replied. “But her actions speak for themselves. The things she did. I can guarantee they’ll never be forgotten nor forgiven.” Amaranda fell silent, sadness passing over her as she thought about how Ceara may never have true peace after her traumatic ordeal. It wasn’t long before they approached a teleport tube.

“Here we are. This will take you down to the proper level.”

“What is this?”

“It’s a teleport chute. You haven’t used these before?”

“I’m sorry, but not in a very long time. I do not spend much time in the cities.”

“A country bumpkin, are you? Just step in and it will instantly take you to where we want to go.”

Amaranda thought about the warp gates she had to use recently. “I hate these things.” she said out loud, stepping into the chute. In the blink of an eye she was standing in another part of the city, somewhat unsteady as she looked at her new surroundings. Varvar appeared next to her.

“See? Not so bad.” He quipped as he started walking. “Come on, this way.”

“Are we close?” she asked taking in the sites of the area. Glowing holograms floated in the air around various kinds of terminals. Asura working relentlessly on their gadgetry, surrounded by equipment that beeped and chirped constantly in a myriad of tones.

“We’re getting there.” Varvar replied.

“I can see why she was fascinated with being here.” Amaranda quipped. “All this…this equipment and technology.”

“We’re always on the move. Everyone is looking for the next big thing. Trying to be the next big name. I gave up on that a long time ago. Too stressful. Decided to just be me.”

“I see.”

“Your sister could have been something great…well…great in a good way, had the council listened to her.”

“What do you mean?”

“She studied the Eternal Alchemy in such great capacity, that she was able to ordain information that no Asura had ever determined. She presented her findings to the Arcane Council, and they accused her of blasphemy. They rejected her findings. And yet, now they use her research to their advantage.”

“They stole her research from her?”

“Yep. And put their names on it. Those stiffs at the top couldn’t stand the fact that a Sylvari, who they consider to be somewhat primitive in thought, could actually glean more information about the Eternal Alchemy than any Asura.”

“That explains why she turned to the Inquest.”

“Possibly, but they didn’t help either. They betrayed her as well, and that got her ejected from the colleges.”

“I see.” Amaranda fell silent as she thought about her sister. “It seems all your life you were met with tragedy and disappointment. Your search for a better understand of life seemingly always lead you down the wrong path. Ceara…I promise it won’t always be like this. It will be better.” She thought to herself.

“You’ve become awfully quiet back there.” Varvar grunted.

“I’m sorry. Just a lot on my mind at the moment.”

“Mhm. Anyway, one entrance to the hall of records is just up ahead. It might be a little tough to convince them to let us view her records, though. They don’t let just anyone access the record files, but I might be able to persuade them if they are reluctant.” As they approached the entrance, one of the guards stepped forward.

“Varvar, what are you doing here?” the guard asked.

“We came for tea and bread. Didn’t you get the invite?” Varvar retorted sarcastically. The guard looked at him, obviously not amused.

“What do you really want?”

“We just need to check some records. Why else would we be here?”

The guard eyed Amaranda momentarily. “Alright.” he finally replied. “Just don’t cause any trouble.” The duo entered the facility. Amaranda looked around at all the Asura technology lining the walls. Varvar approached an Asura wearing large glasses sitting behind a desk. Large screens floated in the air around him.

“What is it this time, Varvar?” he asked.

“Nice to see you again too, Krugg.” Varvar retorted. “We need to see the records of a certain student.” Krugg looked up from the desk at Amaranda.

“A sylvari? If this has something to do with who I think it is, that is off limits. Those records are sealed permanently. Only Councilor Flax can order those files unsealed.”

“You can’t even give us a peek?”

“Please, sir. It’s of vital importance. More people will suffer and die if we are not allowed to see that information.” Amaranda interjected.

“No can do. Now go away. As you can see, I’m extremely busy.” Krugg said sternly, turning back to his screens.

“Psshh…you won’t even help save the world? Imagine the fame and notoriety you will gain!”

“What are you talking about?”

“Imagine the fate of the Tyria hanging in the balance on this very moment.” Varvar said slyly. “But then the world erupts into flames because you refused to allow us to view those records. But if you did…why you could be deemed savior of Tyria!”

Krugg glanced at Varvar, who was smirking confidently.

“I think you’re lying.” Krugg retorted. “Now get out of here before I call security.”

“Oh?” replied Varvar. “How about I make you a deal. You let us see those files, and I won’t reveal your nightly activities.”

Krugg looked at Varvar, slightly concerned.

“That party. It’s not wise for college personel, especially members of higher caliber such as yourself., to partake of…what did you call it? Wing Dings?”

“I never…” Krugg’s sentence was cut short by Varvar’s finger on his mouth.

“You let us see those files and no one will ever know.”

“How did you know!?” Krugg asked exasperatedly, trying to keep his voice down.

“Eyes and ears on the street, my boy.” Varvar replied smugly, his smirk growing on his face. “Now is our ‘paperwork’ in order?”

Krugg breathed in deep. “Fine.” He said through gritted teeth. “It seems your ‘paperwork’ IS in order. Follow me.” He said loudly. Varvar winked at Amaranda and gave her a thumbs up. Krugg lead them to another room with a terminal similar in design but smaller than the one he was using. He started typing on the glowing keyboard.

“You better be right about this saving the world business, Varvar.” He said agitated.

“Oh I am. You just wait and see. The fate of the world hangs on this moment.” He turned to Amaranda and winked again. She smiled back lightly and then gasped as an image of a younger Ceara appeared on the screen. She brought her hand up to her chest.

“Something the matter?” Varvar asked confusingly.

“I…I didn’t realize how adorable she was with roses in her foliage, that’s all.” Amaranda replied.

“Yes, adorable. Krugg, we need a list of the teachers that taught her.”

Krugg typed in a command and text started filling the screen. “Hmm…Stigga seems to be the teacher you want.” Varvar said reading over the information. “He has the most knowledge of what she studied here.”

“You mean the Eternal Alchemy?” Krugg replied snarkly.

“No need to get uppity, Krugg. Remember you’re saving the world here.”

“I thank you.” Amaranda replied. “Where I might find him?”

“He’s at the College of Synergetics. I’ll take you there.”

“Oh thank you!” she quipped.

“Don’t mention it. And Krugg, remember you just saved all of Tyria. Good job!” Varvar said pointing finger guns at the younger Asura.

“So what are ‘wing-dings’?” Amaranda asked as they left the building.

———————————————————————————————————-

Ceara wasted no time travelling through the countryside of the human kingdom of Kryta. She was heading east towards the Shiverpeak Mountains to visit a familiar cave that lay underneath the Durmond Priory in the hopes of finding anything that might help her. A kind farmer had given her a lift part of the way, taking her into the rolling hills of Gendarran Fields. She could see the piled wreckage of the gateway to Lion’s Arch in the distance when she decided to disembark from the farmer’s carriage.

“Thank you, farmer.” She said quietly, handing him a few coins.

“Anytime, stranger. I appreciated the company. Be safe out there. Centaurs and bandits are all around.”

“I will.” She replied as she started walking towards the Lion’s Arch gate. As she approached, she took pause, looking over the refugee camp in the distance. An emptiness filled her chest as she looked down at her hands.

“I did this…” she said to herself. She pulled the hood of her cloak in close and started walking towards the camp. She could make out an asura gate on the far end. She circled the edge of the camp, keeping her distance, watching the refugees and Lionguard move about. She paused as a child’s laughter caught her ear.

“In times such as this, there is still joy to be found by innocence.” She closed her eyes and sighed deeply before continuing towards the gate. Looking at the Lionguard members guarding the portal, she quickly thought of a plan to get through. She pulled the scarf up over her mouth, holding it in place, coughing sporadically.

“Halt.” One of the Lionguard ordered. “Where are you going?”

“Durmond Priory.” She coughed, holding her hand over her mouth. The Lionguardsman looked concerned.

“Were you exposed to the gas?”

“Yes.” She coughed. “But I got out before it got too bad.”

“Then you should be resting. Not out moving about.”

“I know, sir. But I need to pass through. I…I have family on the other side.” She coughed.

The guard paused a moment before sighing. “Ok. Just be careful.”

“Thank you, sir.” She said quietly as she passed through the gate. 

———————————————————————————————————–

Varvar led Amaranda through the halls of the College of Synergetics. It was almost too overwhelming for her. Asura were everywhere, talking about things she had never heard of, showing off their inventions to their classmates.

“How in Tyria can you asura tolerate all this…this…this chaos?” she asked Varvar.

“It’s easy if you just ignore most of it.” He replied. He led her into the administration area of the college. There was an asuran female tending to a console.

“Yes?” she spoke in a snide tone as the duo approached, barely acknowledging their presence.

“We’re looking for Professor Stigga. Is he in?” Varvar asked rather cheerfully.

“Yes, fourth office on the left.” Her voice rather monotone.

“Thank you!” he replied. They started moving past the console.

“Wait a minute!” the clerk said raising her voice. They turned to see her tapping at another screen, still staring at her console. “Sign in please.” Varvar quickly typed in their names before continuing on their way.

“She didn’t even look at us. It’s as if we just ruined her day by coming here.” Amaranda noted.

“When you’re stuck at a dead-end job as a clerk, it sort of ruins your perspective on life.” He replied. “Ah, here we are. Stigga’s office” Standing in the doorway, they could see an older asura sitting at a desk, various holographic screens floating around him. A small golem hovered nearby. The asura turned to them, looking over his glasses.

“Can I help you?” he asked in an authoritative voice.

“Hello, Stigga. How’s it going?” Varvar asked in a jolly tone.

“What do you want, Varvar?”

“This Sylvari is looking for information on one of your former students.” Varvar replied. Stigga paused from typing on of the screens for a moment before slowly turning towards them.

“Is this about who I think it is?” He asked sternly.

“It’s about Ceara, sir.” Amaranda replied. Stigga took a deep breath.

“You best not bother about that one. She was very bright, one of my best students, but her ways were very unorthodox.”

“But sir, we’re trying to find out what happened to her in that machine. What did she see?”

“We all know what happened to her in that device. It shattered her mind. That’s common knowledge.”

“Yes, but…her ghost…I’ve seen it. It’s powerful, with some plan to do something terrible. We need to figure out how to stop it. Please sir, can you help us?” Amaranda pleaded. Stigga stared at her for a moment.

“Very well, follow me. I’m going to introduce you to two of my students who I am sure would be glad to help you.” Stigga lead them to another part of the college nearby. They entered a small lab that was filled with gadgets and paperwork everywhere. Two asura, a male and a female, were working at a workbench in the middle of the room.

“Front and center, you two.” Stigga ordered. The two asura looked up at him.

“What did we do now?” the male asked.

“Just get over here. You’re going out in the field. This sylvari has a ghost problem and you two are going to help her solve it.”

“YES!!” the female one exclaimed excitedly. “This lab was becoming a bit too stuffy!” They walked over and stood in front of Stigga. Stigga then turned to Amaranda.

“Shikijo and Joujou will be more than willing to help you in whatever you need.” He said to her. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have matters to attend to.” He left the lab.

“Well, now that you have the help you need, I’ll be taking my leave as well.” Varvar said.

“Thank you, Varvar. You have been a great help.” Amaranda said.

“It was nothing. Good luck in whatever it is you are trying to do.” He said as he walked out of the lab.

“So, sylvari, what is your name?” asked the female.

“Amaranda. Nice to meet you.” Amaranda replied.

“I’m Joujou, and this is Shikijo. So, what kind of ghost problem do you have? Seems unusual for a sylvari to have a ghost problem.”

“It’s Scarlet Briar. She’s gaining power through the use of chaos energy and has some kind of plan to use it to strengthen the jungle dragon. We need to figure out how to stop her.”

There was a long silence as the duo looked at Amaranda somewhat dumbfounded. “THE Scarlet Briar? The Terror of Tyria? The same that destroyed Lion’s Arch? Are you sure?”

“Yes, quite sure.” Amaranda replied.

“Um…oh, this is…is a lot bigger than we anticipated.” Shikijo said, thoughtfully rubbing his chin.

“We accept the challenge!” Joujou exclaimed excitedly. “Let’s get this show on the road!” The duo ran through the lab grabbing up equipment.

“Grab the spectrometer.”

“Got it, what about the psychoenergetic analyzer.”

“Yes, we need that. Where is it?”

“Um…in that box maybe?…What about over there?”

“Found it. Oh hey. I also found that lost photon reversal thermodongler we’ve been looking for.

“Well put it someplace where we’ll find it.”

“That’s what we did last time and we still lost it.”

When they were finished racing around the lab they approached Amaranda. “So where are we headed!?” asked Shikijo.

“Um..well, it moves around a lot. It’s been in Lion’s Arch, Kessex Hills, Divinity’s Reach for sure. Other places as well it seems.” Amaranda told them.

“Hmm…Lion’s Arch is where she supposedly died. Let’s start there.” Joujou said. “So, Amaranda, anything we should know about this ghost?”

“It’s very hostile. It’s as if….” Amaranda paused.

“As if?” Shikijo asked.

“As if…Ceara’s madness gained its own sentience and manifested itself.” Amaranda said quietly.

“Ah, so it’s not so much a ghost, but a part of that sylvari’s mind.” Joujou said thoughtfully.

“Uh…yes. I think so.”

“Ha, this will be a cakewalk.” Joujou replied confidently. “Let’s go bust us a ghost!”

———————————————————————————————————-

Ceara exited the asura gate led to the old dwarven ruins that now housed the Durmand Priory. The Priory was a studious institution that collected, researched, and stored magical artifacts and texts in large underground storage chambers to protect them from the dragons, or anything else with malicious intent. In the mountain side below the Priory was the cave that led to her lair where she stayed while under the control of the jungle dragon. She pulled her cloak in close as the wind in the mountains whipped by her. She was thankful she had built in a small portable heat unit in the power pack to her armor to keep her warm when needed. She paused a moment as she looked over another refugee camp that was set up below the base of the Priory. She closed her eyes for a moment, a tear running down her cheek. She took a deep breath and made her way through the camp cautiously. People hundled together around campfires, wrapped in blankets, eating food from tin cans.

“I’m sorry…” she whispered to herself. She passed by a post that had a wanted poster of her stuck to it. Various knives and other sharp implements stuck in it. She pulled her cloak closer and made her way to the entrance of the cave. She paused, a flood of memories flashed through her mind. Memories of a time she called this cave her home.

“This would be so much easier had my teleporter not fried.” She thought entering the cave. “I remember there being a lot of beasties in here. Especially that giant ice worm.” She cautiously made her way down into the cave, which was surprisingly clear. She felt a tad uneasy about it. “Something or someone has been through here.” She murmured to herself as she struck up a small light from one of her satchels. She made it to the edge of the frozen pond that was deep within the cavern. The entrance to her former lair was on the other side. She could hear the ice worms slithering about under the ice.

“1…2…3!” she darted across the ice. It groaned and cracked under her feet as she ran trying not to lose her footing. The ice exploded behind her as one of the worms crashed through trying to have her as a meal. Mere moments seemed to be an eternity when she finally reached the far side, clamoring as fast as she could up the rocky incline.

“Well, that was easier than I thought.” She said catching her breath. She was cut short by a noise behind her. She turned to see a figure in the darkness up ahead, holding a torch. It grunted and snarled as it approached her.

“A troll. I seem to remember they had a dwelling nearby.” She pulled out the pistol she took from her aetherblade assaulter and fired a shot at it. It howled and ran back the way it came. She hurried to the small alcove where the entrance to her lair was located. She paused, noticing the fake holographic wall that hid the entrance was inactive, and the heavy steel door sat opened. Cautionsly, she looked around the entrance before slowly stepping in. The room was dark, activating the switch that powered the few lights did nothing.

“Thorns…” she whispered. She adjusted the small lamp she held to be as bright as possible. With its light, she was able to make out most of the small cave. Most of her things were gone, with only the rough furniture remaining. All of her notes and drawings, all of her equipment, all missing. Looking up at the ceiling, she saw the red painting of a serpentine dragon that she had painted in her madness. Omadd’s picture still hung in the corner, though the daggers she had stabbed in his eyes were long gone. She slowly raised her hand and lightly dragged her fingers down his face, a mix of anger and sorrow forming in the pit of her stomach.

“Because of you…I saw it…I saw the Eternal Alchemy…” she remembered that fateful day. Overzealous to finally be able to see the subject of her study. Not knowing what lay in wait for her within it. The face of her creator. She breathed in deeply before she turned to her chair, which still sat in its place, though the console and screen she had were missing as well. She put her hand on the armrest and stared at it before looking over at one of her workbenches. She smiled at the fact that they had even taken the drawing of the rocket propelled dolyak she had wanted to make.

“I really wanted to make that thing. I could have made it work.” She muttered to herself. “Well…there’s nothing of use to me here.” She sighed as she thought about what transpired in this room months prior. “Just nightmares…and painful memories.” She walked towards the door, thinking of her next option.

“It’s a long way to Prosperity.”


	9. I Never Wanted to Hurt Anyone

_“Sometimes we accidently hurt the ones we love”_

“I’m sorry but I cannot allow you access to the restricted zone! It is off limits to civilians!” Taranis barked at Amaranda and the two asura. Taranis was a dark hued sylvari that was a high-ranking member of the Lionguard, and in charge of part of the crew overseeing the cleanup and reconstruction process of Lion’s Arch.

“But sir, this is of vital importance. We’re here to find out what we can about Scarlet Briar’s ghost! It’s not finished with whatever it started here! We need to stop it!” Amaranda argued.

“The Vigil and the Lionguard will take care of whatever comes up, Amaranda. I’m sorry, but I have my orders and if you three try to enter, you will be arrested!” his voice rising. 

“We could just teleport in.” Shikijo murmured under his breath. Joujou elbowed him to keep quiet. 

“You did say that this ghost was seen elsewhere, right?” Joujou asked. 

“Yes…” Aamaranda sighed. “The remains of the tower in Kessex Hills. I met an old fisherman there that says she appears almost every night to tend to her “garden” of spore plants.”

“Spore plants!?” Shikijo ears perked up. “Like the giant plant she had created?”

“I believe so.”

“Then what are we waiting for? We can get samples of those spores and maybe find a good practical use for them!” 

“Surely you can’t be serious? That thing was going to be used to wipe out Tyria.” Amaranda said surprised. 

“I am serious.” replied Shikijo. 

Taranis watched the group leave the Vigil headquarters. “I understand…” he muttered.

“Sir?” a nearby recruit asked. Taranis looked over at him. 

“It’s…it’s nothing. Carry on, recruit. “

———————————————————————————————————-

Ceara bounced along in the farmers carriage as they made their way down the road through Kessex Hills. She had been able to sneak past the guards again at the refugee camp near the Durmand Priory and get through the emergency asura gate that took her back to Gendarran Fields. Once again she had managed to convince a farmer that was heading to the small town of Claypool to let her ride with him in exchange for security against any bandits that might try to attack him. The trip to Properity would have taken far too long on foot, and she didn’t have time to waste.

“We’ll be in Claypool by sundown as long as nothing happens.” He said back to her.

“Thank you, farmer. I appreciate this more than you could know.” She replied back. The trip had indeed been uneventful, but that was about to change.

“I guess I spoke too soon.” He spotted a couple armored soldiers standing in the road. “Looks like a Seraph patrol.” 

“Oh no…” she muttered. She hunkered down between the bins of supplies as much as she could and pulled her cloak around her. She felt the carriage roll to a stop. 

“Good day, sir. Where’s your destination?” one of the soldiers asked. 

“I have a stop in Claypool and then I’m heading to the capitol.”

“Alright. This is a warning. Fort Salma was attacked recently and completely destroyed. It’s off limits to civilians. Please stay as clear as possible from the fort.”

“Attacked? By who? Centaurs?”

“Not by someone, but by something we’ve never seen before. Some kind of vines.”

“Vines?” Ceara thought to herself. “Oh no…”

“That must be one hell of a plant to destroy the whole fort.” 

“Indeed, on your way now. Please be careful.”

“Thank you sir” the farmer nodded to the Seraph and the carriage started rolling again. 

“It’s begun…” Ceara muttered to herself. 

“What was that?” The farmer asked back.

“Oh…nothing…just thinking to myself.” She replied.

———————————————————————————————————–

Amaranda and the asura arrived in Kessex Hills through a waypoint teleporter near Viathan Lake. Joujou noticed Amaranda making a most sourful face. 

“Is something wrong?” Joujou asked. 

“I hate those things. They always make me feel queasy.”

“Ah, you get used to it the more you use them.”

“I try not to. I would much rather prefer walking or wagon transport.”

“Well, sadly time is of the essence it seems.” Shikijo replied. The area was quiet with just the sound of the water of the lake lapping at the shore nearby. The asuran duo got out their equipment and started fidgeting with settings. 

“In just a matter of minutes we should be getting some aetheric readings if your ghost is here.” Shikijo stated confidently. The group slowly started making their way towards the tower ruins. The air was still. Very still. Amaranda looked around and took note there were no animals nearby. 

“Be very careful” she muttered. “It’s close by.”

“Oh? How can you tell?” Joujou asked. 

“Nothing is moving. Even the air is still. There is a feeling of…dread…in the air. Chaos.” She could see the small spore plants among the ruins as they got closer. They didn’t glow as brightly in the midday sun. “Stop. Don’t go any farther.” Amaranda said with a cautious tone. 

“What’s wrong?” Joujou asked turning towards the sylvari.

“If we get near those spore plants, it will be certain death.” 

“Oh? Are they poisonous? If so, we should take a sam…”

“NO!” Amaranda cut her off. “It would not be death by those plants…but…by Scarlet.”

“She speaks the truth.” A voice spoke nearby. Turning, Amaranda recognized the old fisherman from before. “You would do well to heed her advice.”

“And you are?” Shikijo asked.

“Just an old fisherman that used the make his business on this lake. Now I just burn the bodies of those that trespass on her garden.”

“Burn the bodies?” Joujou asked.

“Yes. Those that try to take from her garden usually are met with a terrible ending. Your sylvari friend here has seen the end result firsthand.” Amaranda nodded her head, remembering the night not long ago when she first arrived at the lake on her way to Divinity’s Reach. 

“It was as if the life was drained from their bodies.” She said. “Quite horrible.”

“Draining life? Maybe this thing is a lich then?” Shikijo asked looking rather thoughtfully. 

“No. I’ve seen it. It’s definitely a spirit.” The fisherman spoke, looking out over the ruins. “It phases in and out of sight. Walks through walls. Appears out of nowhere.” Just then one of the instruments started pinging. 

“Something’s happening!” Joujou exclaimed. “We’re getting readings off the scale.” 

“There…” Amaranda muttered softly, pointing towards a piece of the tower. They could see the apparition moving through the rubble. 

“Scarlet Briar…” Amaranda spoke. 

“I’ve never seen it during the daylight hours.” The fisherman stammered. They watched Scarlet as she moved gracefully through the rubble towards the spore plants, seemingly oblivious to the group. Every so often she would kneel and gently move her hand around one of the plants.

“Let’s get a closer look.” Joujou said quietly. Shikijo nodded in agreement and the duo slowly crept closer to the ruins. 

“The meter is going crazy. Aetheric is off the chart. Spectrographic is redlining. Whatever this is, there is a lot of power here.” He said quietly.

“Is anything over 9000?” Joujou asked, looking over her own device.

“No, not even close. Why?”

“Just checking.” Their approach didn’t go unnoticed. 

“It seems I have visitors.” Scarlet said to herself as she looked over one of the plants. “Who chooses to disturb my work?” Slowly she stood and turned, gasping at what she saw.

“AH! LITTLE ONES!” she squealed. Joujou and Shikijo paused, wide eyed in bewilderment.

“Come! Come closer! Let me see you!” Scarlet called to them. The duo was frozen, partially in fear, partially in confusion.

“Don’t be afraid! But please, try not to disturb the plants. It would be…” Scarlet looked over the immediate area. “it would be very deadly for you.” She smiled. Cautiously, the pair slowly made their way closer to her. They stopped within feet of Scarlet.

“Tell me, what is it that you have in your hands?” she asked. 

“Um…aetheric seismometer, spectrographic volume gauge.” Shikijo spouted.

“Equipment to take energy readings.” Joujou responded. 

“Oh? And what does it tell you?” Scarlet asked, seemingly genuinely curious.

“Well, right now, it’s reading the energy that is being emitted from you.”

“Oh? Really? Is it over 9000?” Scarlet asked inquisitively. 

Shikijo and Joujou looked at each other for a moment. “Um…no…” he finally answered. Scarlet’s face fell. 

“Oh…well, I guess I’ll just have to try harder!” she smiled

“Why are you collecting energy?” Joujou asked. 

“Oh, little ones. You just wait. I’ll make sure you have seats front and center of biggest show Tyria has ever seen! It’ll be the Tyria’s grand finale!” Shikijo tilted his screen towards Joujou and pointed at a meter. 

“Is that…a chaos energy reading?” Joujou asked.

“It would seem so.” He replied. The air chilled around them as they turned to find Scarlet kneeling right in front of them. 

“You find me quite peculiar, don’t you?” she said slightly menacingly, a grin on her face. 

“Well, you…you are very interesting, to say the least.” Shikijo stammered slightly, his breath becoming visible in the cold air around Scarlet. “So…you absorb all this energy into yourself? And you hold it? Like a battery?” 

“You’re a smart little one.” Scarlet said softly, holding her hand up to the duo. Small vines slowly sprouted from it, wrapping around her fingers playfully. One extended slowly outwards toward Shikijo.

“Um…what…what are you doing?” he asked, slightly nervous. The vine lightly swiped across the ball of his nose, causing him to sneeze. Scarlet smiled, chuckling to herself. 

“Now, please excuse me. I have some things to discuss with the seer.” She said turning her gaze towards Amaranda and the fisherman. 

Amaranda watched nervously as Scarlet disappeared. 

“What do you think happened down there?” The fisherman asked. Amaranda never got to answer. 

“Boo!” Scarlet’s voice said softly over her shoulder. Both Amaranda and the fisherman jumped away. The fisherman scurried across the ground as fast as he could.

“Don’t worry, old man. I’m not here to kill you. You’ve done a magnificent job of keeping my garden clear of the vermin that tries to steal from me. As long as you continue to do that, you’ll have the luxury of staying alive.” She turned to Amaranda. “Seer, it’s so nice to see you again.” Amaranda put her hand on her dagger. “Really, seer?” Scarlet said, a perturbed look on her face. “Did you not learn anything at the pavilion. If bullets passed through me, do you think your little knife will be any different?”

“What do you want?”

“Tell me, seer. Have you ever considered that you and our dear Ceara are two sides of the same coin?” 

Amaranda looked somewhat puzzled as she stared at the spirit. “What?”

“Think about it. Your connection to the dream is so powerful, second only to the Pale Tree, that you had to leave the Grove so you could have some peace and quiet in your head.” Scarlet said, tapping her finger on her brow. ”You couldn’t become soundless no matter how hard you tried. And yet, your dear sister Ceara can shut the Dream completely out on a whim, like closing a simple door. And both of you were born at almost the same time. Quite fascinating, is it not?”

“What are you getting at?” Amaranda asked. Scarlet chuckled to herself. 

“I believe the two of you, together, can easily sway your mother tree to…” Scarlet paused, playfully acting like she was lost in thought. “To see things in Father’s perspective especially after I’ve succeeded in making him stronger!” She was brimming with excitement. “Now if you excuse me, I must return to my secret lair and work on my devious plan!” she said, almost in a mocking tone, a wide smile on her face. “Ta-ta!” as she faded from site. The two asura came rushing up. 

“Well…that was quite exciting!” Shikijo exclaimed. 

“We got some good data on her.” Joujou remarked. “It seems she’s like some kind of energy battery. She absorbs energy and stores it within herself. But everytime she does something like phasing in and out, or teleporting, she uses some of that energy.” Joujou noticed Amaranda with a far off look on her face. “Hey, are you ok?”

“No…” Amaranda replied quietly, shaken by what Scarlet had said. “Mother is in more danger than I thought. We’ve got to stop her. And find Ceara.” 

“Well, we’re working on…wait a minute.” Shikijo looked at his device. “There an energy signature resembling Scarlet nearby. It’s very faint.” 

“Ceara…” Amaranda said. 

“What?” 

“It’s her. Where is the signal from?”

Shikijo turned slowly towards the north. “It is originating from somewhere past that ridge.”

“Let’s go. We need to find her.”

Amaranda and the Asura raced up the hillside, cresting the ridge at the top. They could see the road that led to Fort Salma. In the distance they spied a farmer’s carriage being drawn by two dolyak. 

“There.” Shikijo stated. He looked down at his device to verify it. Pointing at the carriage, “It’s that buggy.” The trio hurried down the road and stopped in front of the dolyak. 

“Looks like we have company again.” The farmer said lowly. He pulled the carriage to a stop. 

“Hm?” Ceara thought to herself as she tried to peak out from the supplies. 

“A sylvari and two asura.” He muttered. “Don’t look like bandits though but looks can be deceiving” He watched as the trio approached. “Can I help you?” he asked, rather sternly. 

“Mr. Farmer…” Shikijo said. “We hate to be a bother, but we believe you are carrying around an individual that is emitting a low psychiaethereal resonance and that person is of some importance to us.”

“Psychi…what?” the farmer asked. 

“Psychiaethereal resonance.” Shikijo repeated.

“He is asking do you have a sylvari in your carriage.” Amaranda stated bluntly.

“Amaranda!?” Ceara blurted out. She crawled to the front of the carriage and looked out. 

“Ceara?” Amaranda gasped. 

“Ceara? I thought your name was Jin?” the farmer asked. 

“It is…er..was…kinda…but not really.” Ceara sputtered as she climbed out of the carriage. Amaranda ran up to her and embraced her, catching Ceara off guard.

“Ah…uh…” Ceara sputtered with a confused and bewildered look on her face. 

“I’m glad your safe.” Amaranda said relieved. Ceara slowly pushed her away. Amaranda looked at her puzzled. “What’s wrong?”

“It’s just…just that…” Ceara looked at the ground. “Just that I’m not used to that kind of attention…or affection…I’m sorry.”

“So I guess you won’t be needing to head to Claypool anymore?” the farmer asked, witnessing the exchange. Ceara turned to him. 

“Not anymore, farmer. Thank you for your kindness.” The farmer nodded and whipped the reins. The carriage rolled on. 

“So this is the infamous Scar-“ Shikijo was cut off by Joujou’s hand over his mouth. He looked at her as she shook her head slowly. 

“What are you doing here? Who are these asura?” Ceara asked Amaranda.

“My help. Shikijo and Joujou. We came looking for you.” Amaranda replied.

“And we were looking for the anomaly.” Joujou added.

“Anomaly? You mean…” Ceara asked. 

“Yes, that spirit that’s calling itself Scarlet Briar.” Joujou replied.

“We found it here at the ruins.” Amaranda added.

“It’s here!?” Ceara asked.

“It was but disappeared. We did get some excellent data from it though.” replied Shikijo.

“What happened to you? Where did it send you?” Amaranda asked. 

“To the mists. I’ll explain later.”

“Ok.” Amaranda nodded lightly then paused, noticing a slight bruising on Ceara’s cheek. “What happened here?” she asked pointing to her own cheek. 

“It’s nothing. I had a slight run in with someone that quickly saw the error of his ways.” Ceara replied. “It’ll heal.”

“I’m glad you’re ok, otherwise.” Amaranda sighed. 

"Well, we should head back to Rata Sum. We have a load of data to pour over.” Shikijo stated. 

“Rata Sum?” Ceara asked quietly.

“Yep. We have a great lab set up to review our findings!” Joujou replied excitedly.

“I don’t think I should go there. It might not be…I might attract too much attention. And not the good kind of attention.” Ceara paused. “I should-“

“I got the perfect thing.” Shikijo interjected, cutting her off. “A mirage induction field generator.”

“A what?” Amaranda asked.

“A mirage induction field genereator. A hologram projector that will make you look like an asura.”

“You don’t know if that thing works yet.” Joujou said to him, somewhat perturbed.

“It works 110%. I tested it myself.”

"Yes, on yourself. But you haven’t tested it on a Sylvari or another being yet.”

“Well, now is the perfect chance!” he handed the small device to Ceara. “Just turn it on and you’ll look like an asura!” he exclaimed. Ceara pushed the little button and a holographic field enveloped her. 

“Um…I don’t think it’s working right.” Amaranda stated as they were now looking at a six foot tall asura. 

“Blast it! I was sure I had it adjusted properly. Oh well. We’ll just waypoint into the lab complex then.” 

“Is that such a good idea?” Ceara asked, shutting off the hologram. 

“It’s our best choice as time is seemingly of the essence.” Joujou stated. 

“But what about the security golems? I’m sure one of them will recognize me.” Ceara asked, remembering the golem that spotted her in Lion’s Arch.

“They won’t bother you. Remember, everyone thinks you’re dead now. I’m sure your profile has been removed from the database.” Joujou said in a positive tone, handing Ceara a waypoint transporter. Ceara stared at it for a moment. 

“Ok…” she sighed reluctantly, nodding slightly. 

“Let’s go!” Joujou exclaimed as her and Shikijo disappeared. 

“Ugh, I hate this.” Amaranda spouted, obviously disgusted. She activated her device and disappeared. 

“I could just end my own life right now and all this would be over.” Ceara said to herself while staring at the device. She slowly looked over at the ruins of the nightmare tower that lay in the distance. “All my fault.” She whispered as the dark memories flashed through her mind.

“But don’t be sad. You’ll see me again…” she mouthed to herself as she remembered taunting the pact commander and allies. She pulled her cloak around her and paused a moment. Taking a deep breath, she activated the waypoint device.

The plaza in front of the lab complex was a flurry of activity. Asura on the move everywhere. Some showing off their latest inventions, others talking about theories and statistics. Amaranda and the asuran duo waited for Ceara to arrive.

“Um…you don’t think…”

“No, there she is.” Joujou responded. Ceara stepped out of the waypoint beam. 

"I was started to get a little worried.” Amaranda said to her.

“It’s ok. I was just…I just had a moment.” Ceara said looking away at the ground.

“It’s not ok. And you’re not ok. But you will be. And we’re going to get through this together.” Amaranda said softly resting her hand on Ceara’s arm. Ceara flinched, moving her arm away from Amaranda. Amaranda paused a moment before continuing. “I didn’t know what you were like before everything that happened, but I can tell what you’re like now, and I can tell you’re in a lot of pain. And I want to help as much as I can.” 

“No, It’s ok. I’m fine.” Ceara refuted.

“No, you aren’t.” Amaranda replied, gently shaking her head.

“Why are you doing this?” Ceara asked.

Amaranda looked Ceara in the eyes. “Because I’m your sister and I care about you.” Ceara turned her gaze to the ground, looking away from Amaranda.

“You’re better off not worrying about me.”

“Um, we better get inside before we do attract attention.” Joujou interjected. “Before we attract unwanted attention.” As they entered the lab complex, memories filled Ceara’s vision.

“I remember all this.” She said quietly. “It seems like so long ago.” The hallways, the labs. She spent a lot of time here. She remembered all the whispers, all the snarky comments the asura had made about her. About how can a simple sylvari be studying at the Rata Sum colleges. They approached a desk with an asura sitting behind it looking at a hovering screen. Joujou and Shikijo passed a badge through a small screen, which went green. Ceara found herself habitually reaching for her id that didn’t exist anymore.

“These two sylvari are visitors with us.” Shikijo told the one at the desk.

“Do you have the paperwork for them?”

“Um..no.”

“Then they can’t enter.”

“Gah! Contact Professor Stigga. He was supposed to have this done!” Joujou exclaimed.

“Stigga?” Ceara quipped. “He is still here?”

“Yep.” Joujou replied as she grabbed an intercom and punched in a number. Stigga’s image appeared on a holographic screen.

“Yes?” He asked sternly.

“Professor, we…”

“Did you see it?”

“Yes.”

“Did you get any data?”

“YES! Professor, and we have two sylvari with us to bring into the lab complex, but we don’t have the visitor paperwork.”

“Two sylvari? Who did you…” he paused, his eyes widened. “Wait. Is one of them…her?”

“You mean…yes. Yes it is.”

“You wait right there. Don’t move at all. I’ll be there in a moment.” The screen went blank.

“Stigga…he was one of my instructors here.” Ceara muttered quietly. Mere moments later, Stigga entered the lobby of the complex. He paused when he saw the group. Staring at Ceara, he cautiously approached them.

“I never thought I would ever see you again.” He said to her.

“I never thought I would return here.” She rebutted. Stigga walked up to a terminal at the desk and punched in a few keys.

“What are the names of these two?” he asked.

“Amaranda and…” Amaranda stated, looking at Ceara.

“Jin.” Ceara said.

“There. They paperwork for these two is complete. I’m sorry for the delay.”

The receptionist looked over the screen briefly and nodded.

“Alright, come on. We have lots of data to go over!” Shikijo remarked excitedly. The group navigated the maze of hallways until they arrived at a small lab near the back of the complex.

“This should do for now. It’s out of the way enough that no one should bother us.” Joujou stated. “Let’s get started!”

“Is there anything you need?” Amaranda asked Ceara.

“To get out of this armor, a bath to soak in for a while, and some real food.”

“There is a washroom just down the hall on the left with some small sleeping quarters.” Joujou told them. “We’ll see about getting some food delivered as well.”

“Thank you.” Amaranda said. The sylvari left the lab and headed down the hallway. The washroom was a moderate size, with a tub large enough to hold three people of average height. Amaranda knelt down and turned the water on. Ceara started removing her armor slowly.

“Do you need any help removing anything?” Amaranda asked.

Ceara shook her head. “There is a sequence to removing everything. I’ll be fine.”

“Ok. I’ll go see if I can find you some clothing.” Amaranda left the room. Ceara slowly removed the pieces of her outfit. Gauntlets, shoulder pieces, collar…following the sequence she had done too many times to count. Once undressed, she walked over and stood in front of a mirror and stared at her reflection. She looked haggard.

“Was it worth it, Mender?” she whispered to herself. She stood for a few moments lost in thought before turning back to the tub. Stepping in, the water was warm and soothing as she sat down. It seemed every joint in her body ached. She slid down until the water was touching her chin and closed her eyes. She focused on what she saw in the Mists. The monstrous creatures from her nightmares. The pale tree. Herself. Her thoughts started getting hazy as she heard a low growl in her mind followed by a disturbingly familiar voice.

“Return to me…” it growled. She snapped her eyes open. Shaken, she sat up and looked around the room. She found Amaranda standing in the doorway, holding some simple clothing. They stared at each other for a few moments.

“I heard it too.” Amaranda said.

“It was the jungle dragon. It was his voice.”

“It calls to us. We are of it. I guess being in Rata Sum puts us in close proximity to it.”

“So you know it? You know Caithe’s secret?”

“I do. I learned it as soon as the jungle dragon awoke.” Amaranda approached the tub, setting the clothes on a small table and stepped in. She sat on the edge next to Ceara. “What was it like?”

Ceara sat quietly for a moment. “It was…it was like being smothered. Drowning.” She finally replied. “I knew what I was doing, I knew what I had to do, but it was difficult.” She looked at her reflection in the water. “I tried fighting it, but it just took more and more control. Became more powerful. It became increasing difficult which thoughts were my own and which belong to it.” Ceara paused a moment staring at her reflection. “I never…I never wanted to hurt anyone…but it…” Ceara’s voice was starting to break.

Amaranda put her hand gently on Ceara’s shoulder. “It’s ok. You don’t have to talk about it anymore.” Ceara nodded lightly.

“Lean forward.” Amaranda spoke softly after a short silence.

“What?”

“Lean forward. I’ll wash your back for you.”

“Oh…no. Amaranda. You don’t…” Ceara was cut off by a light slap on the shoulder.

“Just stop it. You have been through so much. Not just recently, but through the last year. All that trauma, all that pain. I can’t imagine what it was like, but it’s gone now. So please, you take a little bit of time and relax for once.” Ceara resigned herself and turned away from Amaranda. Amaranda grabbed a washcloth and a bottle of soap that smelled of vanilla. “And besides, I’m older than you so that means I’m the boss.”

“Heh, only by a day.” Ceara retorted.

“Two days to be exact.” Amaranda responded. She started washing Ceara’s shoulders. “I remember when you were birthed from your pod. So curious. So eager to start exploring the world around you.”

“I was.”

“And poor Mender Serimon. ‘Thank you, Mender. But I don’t need your help.’” Amaranda said mockingly.

“Are you…are you making fun of me?”

“Of course. I’m your big sister.”

Ceara sighed lightly. “You’re the only person I feel I can trust.”

“You don’t even trust the Mother Tree?”

“And let her put her yoke on me?” Ceara asked somewhat defiantly.

Amaranda sighed. “Do you still hold that much contempt in your heart for her?” She paused a moment. “You know, she wept for you every day while you were lost to us. And now that you aren’t under the control of that thing or the jungle dragon, she’s eager to see you. You may not know it, but she loves you. Can’t you at least visit her to give her the peace of mind that you’re ok?” Ceara fell silent and lowered her head slightly.

“I just heard your face hit the water.” Amaranda said jokingly. Ceara closed her eyes and pursed her lips, trying to hold back a smile. Amaranda continued to wash down her back, pausing when she saw the scar from Ceara’s wound from the Breachmaker. Ceara sensed it, reaching up and rubbing the scar on her chest.

“Does it hurt?” Amaranda asked.

“Only my pride. I guess some scars never fade. If it was just an inch over, it would have penetrated through my heart and I wouldn’t be here right now…that thing wouldn’t be here.”

“Well, you’re here and we’re going to stop it.” Amaranda said, sounding as positive as she could. She started lifting Ceara’s foliage.

“What are you…” Ceara was cut off again.

“Great Tyria!” Amaranda exclaimed. “Where did you go in the Mists!? To the beach? Your foliage is full of sand!”

“Well, I…”

“Lean your head back.”

“What? No… you don’t…” She was cut off again by a slap on the shoulder. She sighed and leaned her head back. Amaranda took a small container and poured water through Ceara’s foliage, running her fingers through it, removing as much sand as she can.

“And your color. It’s faded. Have you not been taking care of yourself?”

“Well, I’ve…”

“Your foliage is usually a bright fiery red if I remember correctly. What happened?”

“Would you…”

“Lean your head to the side.” Amaranda dumped water into one of the Ceara’s stalks. 

“What are you…”

“Have you ever thought of trimming these off and letting your roses grow back?”

“Uh, no. I had those when I was younger. I like what I have now.

“Lean to the other side.” Ceara leaned her head the other way.

“I’m starting to believe your worse than mother.” Ceara was trying to stifle her laughter.

“You’re laughing, and it’s not a maniacal laugher either. That’s a good sign.” Amaranda finished rinsing out Ceara’s foliage. “There. All done.”

“Well are you happy now?”

“Yes, I am. Now finish up. They are going to have food ready soon.” Amaranda grabbed a towel and dried her hands. She seemed lost in thought as she looked at Ceara.

“What?” Ceara said, pausing while bathing herself. Amaranda smiled slightly.

“Have you…” she paused a moment before continuing. “Have you ever thought that…your great desire to learn everything about this…” she gestured around the room. “Everything about how life worked…maybe that was your wyld hunt after all?”

Ceara’s face went deadpan. “Get out.”

“Why? I think the notion is fascinating.”

“No. It’s not. Now get out.”

“Oh, calm down. It’s just a thought.” She tossed the towel at Ceara before leaving the room.

“My wyld hunt. As if…” Ceara sighed and finished bathing. Exiting the tub, she stood in front of the mirror again as she slowly dried herself.

“Come home, my child.” Staring at her reflection, The Pale Trees voice echoed through her thoughts as she remembered hearing her that day in Lion’s Arch. She found herself thinking of the days after she was born from her pod. Days spent exploring Caledon Forest, away past the giant roots of the Pale Tree. She sighed heavily and reached for the clothing Amaranda had brought. They were simple clothes, a grey shirt and black leggings. She slipped her feet into her boots and made her way back to the lab. She took pause as she entered, slightly gasping. In the middle of the room above a table was a holographic projection of her doppelganger, as well as a projection of herself.

“Well, this is a tad unsettling.” She said, slowly walking into the lab. “What have you found?”

“Well, it seems your alter ego has built up a sizable energy supply within herself. It’s almost like she’s a battery of some sort.”

“Or a vampire…” Ceara stated. She stood in front of the hologram of Scarlet and stared at it. Amaranda stood next to her.

“It’s disturbing…” Amaranda said. Ceara nodded in agreement. “Any idea what she is?” Amaranda asked.

“I know what she is.” Ceara stated. The room fell silent save for the hum of the hologram projector and the random beep now and then. “She’s…” Ceara paused. “It’s a part of the jungle dragon. An aspect if you will. And a fragment of myself. A piece of my mind. My soul. She is a part of me. A part that somehow managed to separate itself and escape into the Dream after the Lion’s Arch battle.”

“That would explain the psychiaetheric resonance. The two of you are still connected.” Shikijo said staring at the hologram thoughtfully. “Which would also explain this aetheric reading on the monitor. We weren’t sure what it was at first, but I bet it’s coming from the “Dream” you sylvari are so fond of speaking about.”

“That’s how she moves around so fast? She goes to the Dream and then pops back out where she wants to be?” Amaranda asked.

“It would seem so. And she uses the Dream to recharge herself, in a sense.”

“That would explain why everything around her in the Dream is dead or dying.” Amaranda said.

“Yes…wait. You’ve seen her in the Dream?” Ceara asked Amaranda, a puzzled look on her face.

“Yes. I had a little…run in with her one night while resting when I was travelling to Divinity’s Reach.”

“So now the question is, how do we stop her. I highly doubt that just asking her to stop what she is doing and play nice isn’t going to work.” Shikijo commented.

“There’s only one way to stop her.” Ceara responded. “All the roads lead to one ending.” She paused a moment. “My ending…”

“What?” Amaranda asked as the asura looked on. “What do you mean ‘your ending’?”

“She’s a part of me. The only way to stop her is for me to die.”

“No! There has to be another way!” Amaranda raised her voice.

“Temper.” Joujou said. “We’ll find another way. She is somewhat of a spirit of sorts, yes? And she’s packed full of energy. Soooo we need to figure out a way to dispel all that energy and get her trapped in something that can hold her.“

“Ok, but what in Tyria can…” Ceara paused staring at the screen in front of Shikijo. She raced over to it, looking over her shoulder. “Is this…chaos energy?”

“Yes, it is.”

“And this here? This is ley energy here?”

“Mm-hmm.” Shikijo muttered, nodding his head.

“Does anyone remember what happened at Thaumanova reactor?”

“The Inquest blew it up.” Joujou replied.

“Yes, by haphazardly injecting chaos energy into the leyline that ran below the reactor. They didn’t have the proper safeguards in place to regulate the flow.” Ceara stated looking up at the hologram of Scarlet. “If she is carrying around this mixture of energy within her unchecked, then she is…”

“A walking bomb.” Shikijo finished.

“Yes.” Ceara said, taking a deep breath. “And mix in the aetheric energy from the Dream…”

“This is…bad. With that amount of power…” Shikijo typed furiously at his screen. “With that power…if she were to erupt, it could be enough of an explosion of energy to possibly even attract Primordus. That would be very bad.”

“Understatement.” Joujou replied. “We need to do something and fast. If she is born of Mordremoth’s dragon energy, then we’ll need something of dragon nature just as strong, but preferably stronger, to hold her.” Joujou started typing on her console.

“What about the brand?” Amaranda asked. The group turned and looked at her. “Crystals can store energy, and the brand is created by the crystal dragon. If you get a big enough crystal to contain her energy…”

“That might just work.” Joujou responded. “But we’d have to get her to dispel some of that energy she has stored, and not all at once.”

“Also, how would the crystal dragons power affect her? We could just be adding to the mix, making it worse.” Ceara said cautiously.

“That’s a good point. We don’t really know how the different dragon’s energy patterns react with each other.” Joujou replied. “That’s something we’ll have to look into.” The group paused as a cart full of food appeared in the door of the lab.

“Did someone in the lab order food?” the asura behind the cart asked.

“We sure did!” Joujou exclaimed excitedly.

“Ok. Just leave it in the hall when you’re done.” He said pushing the cart into the lab. It was full of fruits and vegetables, with one plate full of a sliced meat.

“Um, excuse me?” Ceara asked. “Do you have-“ she was cut off by Amaranda’s hand over her mouth.

“If they know you’re here…” Amaranda whispered harshly to her.

“Well then ask him for some ginger tea, please?” Ceara whispered back. Amaranda went to ask the asura but was stopped by Ceara grabbing her arm. “and winterberry ale too.”

Amaranda looked at her. “Are you serious?”

“Yes!”

“We don’t have time for that!”

“Yes, we do, now order it!”

Amaranda sighed. “Kind sir can you bring us some ginger tea and a cask of winterberry ale, please?” she called after the asura.

“Um…ginger tea I can get. Not so sure about the ale.”

“Please sir, if you can we would really appreciate it.” Amaranda turned back to Ceara. “Really?”

“Yes! It goes good with the ginger tea. Makes it even sweeter and sparkly.”

“Sparkly?” Amaranda asked somewhat disbelievingly.

“Probably tastes like holoscreen static.” Shikijo muttered quietly.

“What?” Ceara responded.

“Nothing. Just looking over these readings.”

“Feh!” Ceara spat as her face turned sour towards Shikijo. “You just don’t know a good drink when you see it.” She muttered. “So, what other options do we have?” Ceara asked, picking a couple strawberries off the cart.

“Didn’t you create some kind of capsule that can hold ley energy?” asked Shikijo. “I remember hearing something about that.”

“Well…yes, but that was after haggling with the Dredge and Flame Legion.”

“And that created the Molten Alliance that terrorized the Wayfarer Foothills region and Diessa Plateau.” Amaranda stated, looking disapprovingly at Ceara.

“Don’t you look at me like that. I…it wasn’t me…” Ceara’s voice trailed off as she looked to the floor. Amaranda closed her eyes, cursing herself under her breath. An uneasy silence fell over the room.

“I’m sorry.” Amaranda said softly.

“No, it’s ok.” Ceara replied, setting a strawberry back in the bowl it came from. She turned to the asura. “I’ll head to the brand and get the crystals. You three stay here and figure out what else we need.” She left the room and headed back to the washroom to retrieve her armor.

“Thorns!” Amaranda spat, shaking her head. 

“What was that about?” Joujou asked.

Amaranda took a deep breath. “Ceara seems to…seems to have changed. I’m not sure entirely sure what she was like in her later years but when she was young, it seemed like she was full of energy. Focused on her whatever she was doing or working on. Learning as much as she could. She was very headstrong and determined. It seems being under the control of the jungle dragon affected her mind. She still seems full of energy like before, but…her mind. It has changed. It’s fragile now. I feel there is a lot of regret and she blames herself. For what happened, for what she did.” Amaranda looked up at the hologram of Scarlet. “Even though it wasn’t really her. It was this thing…controlling her.” She looked at the asura. “I need a sword.”

“A sword? For what?”

“I’m going with her. She needs someone to watch her back while in the brand.”

“Um, we have a couple energy sabers here. Protoypes really. Will they work?”

“They’ll have to.” Amaranda ignited one for a moment. “It’ll work.” She rushed out of the lab to the washroom. Ceara was redressing herself when Amaranda appeared in the doorway.

“What?” Ceara asked sternly.

“I’m going with you.”

Ceara paused and looked Amaranda. “You don’t have to. I can take care of myself.” A disgusted tone in her voice.

“Ceara, I’m sorry. I didn’t think. I know…I care about you and I don’t want to see you get hurt out there. I’m going with you. You’ll need someone to watch your back.”

“Really?” Ceara paused looking at her. “If that is the case, then try to keep up.” Ceara finished assembling her armor, snapping the last of the buckles in place like she had done countless times in the past. She grabbed her cloak and pushed past Amaranda heading back to the lab. Amaranda sighed heavily and followed after her.

“Ok, I’m going to need a rifle and some ammunition, a waypoint transporter, and…” She reached into one of her satchels, pulling out a small device, looking at it momentarily “and some kind of shield device,” Ceara glanced over at Amaranda. “And whatever she needs.”

“Here’s a scanner that should be able to help you find suitable crystals for what we need and a cutter to cut them loose, and a containment unit to hold them. Also, here’s your transporters. I have them calibrated to take you to a waypoint in the northern Iron Marches region of Ascalon. It’s also set to bring you right back into this lab.” Joujou handed them the devices and then motioned to a temporary waypoint beam set up in far empty corner of the lab.

“Excellent.” Ceara snapped. “And any weapons? Shield?”

“Um…well…we have one rifle that we kinda tinkered with for a bit, but we don’t even know if it works.” Shikijo went over to a shelf and pulled out a long case that was in pretty rough shape. He opened it to reveal a rifle that had seen better days. Sitting next to it was a small box with a handful of rounds.

“It’ll have to do for now.” Ceara said grabbing the gun and ammunition.

“Here’s some shield devices. They won’t last long though.” Joujou handed a small round disk to Ceara and Amaranda.

Ceara turned to Amaranda. “Are you ready?” Amaranda nodded her head. “Good. Let’s go.” The asura watched as the sylvari disappeared upon activating the transport devices.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: It Made Me Hurt Everyone

_Sometimes we must bear the pain_

Ceara and Amaranda exited the waypoint beam on a hillside overlooking a stretch of branded terrain. The elder dragon Kralkatorrik had flown over the area in the past and crystallized everything in its wake. The once brown and green hills were now purple and covered in giant crystals. Any living beings caught in the path were crystallized and now minions of the crystal dragon. A thick haze hung over the valley that reeked of the smell of ozone.

“Pale mother…” Amaranda whispered in astonishment.

“You’ve never seen the brand before?” Ceara asked.

“Never this close.”

“Well, you’re about to get a lot closer.” The duo made their way down the hillside, the ground slowly changing from soft grass to rough crystals.

“It’s eerily quiet. Not even the birds are chirping.” Amaranda said, a slight nervous twitch in her voice.

“Everything here has been transformed by the crystal dragon. Be cautious. We could be swarmed at a moment’s notice.” Ceara pulled out the small scanner and extended a short antenna. She fiddled with the controls for a moment, and the device beeped. Looking off into the distance, she pointed at a rising ridge with very large jagged crystals protruding from it.

“There. It looks like those protrusions are what we need.” She said.

“The land looks dangerous. It seems we’ll have to climb a bit to get to them.“ Amaranda said quietly.

“Indeed. Let’s go.”

“I can’t shake the feeling we’re not alone here.” Amaranda said keeping a watchful eye on the surrounding area. “It feels like the very land is watching us.”

“That’s because it is. The branded are here. And they’ll kill us if they catch us.”

“That doesn’t settle my nerves any.” Amaranda sighed.

“And what would?” Ceara asked, a bit of contempt in her voice.

“Ceara…” Amaranda took a deep breath. “I’m sorry for what I said. I didn’t mean-“ she was cut off by Ceara’s finger in her face.

“The best thing you could do right now is to stop talking about it. I know I’m not well. I haven’t been well for a very long time, and I may never be again. I’ll never be able to forget what I did, but I don’t like to be reminded about it. I’m trying my best to be better now and trying to leave the past behind me. But what you did back there…that hurt me. A lot. I trusted you. You’re the only person I feel I can trust. But that…that shook that trust.”

Amaranda looked at the ground and nodded her head lightly. “Ok” she muttered.

“Now let’s get moving.” Ceara barked. “Be careful. These crystals can cut you to pieces.” Slowly they made their way up the ridge. Neither one said anything to the other until they reached a small level offed area.

Ceara took a deep breath. “Amaranda?”

“Hm?” she replied.

“Do you ever think…” Ceara paused eyeing the crystals further up the ridge. “Do you ever think we sylvari will evolve to the point where we could bear children like humans do?”

“Um…” Amaranda was taken aback by the question. ”I…I don’t know. That is a rather odd question. One I don’t have an answer for it.”

“Think about this. The oldest of us is roughly 30 cycles old. We have not existed for very long. We don’t even have a written language, even a spoken one, to call our own. If something were to happen to the Pale Tree, there would be no more sylvari.”

“Well, I don’t think mother is the only tree of her kind in existence.” Amaranda replied.

Ceara looked over her shoulder. “Malyck?”

“Yes. He wasn’t born from our mother. We don’t know where he came from…or where he went for that matter. How do you know about him?”

“I did a lot of studying while I was…” Ceara paused.

“I understand.”

They continued to climb. The latter part of the climb was easier than the first. It wasn’t long before they arrived at the ridge with the crystals they needed.

“Hopefully I don’t get electrocuted.” Ceara said, as they paused. Tiny sparks arced over and in between the large crystal spires. She pulled out the cutter the asura had given her. “Ok, I’m going to start cutting. You keep a watch out. Have the shield ready.” Ceara put her goggles over her eyes and activated the small blade. As she went to make the first cut, a loud roar echoed over the brand.

“What was that!?” Amaranda stammered. A shadow passed over them. They looked up to see the shape of a dragon passing over through the clouds above. Ceara grabbed Amaranda and pulled her under an outcropping of crystal.

“Is that!?…”Amaranda sputtered.

“It’s not the elder dragon. One of its lesser subordinates. Shatterer or something like that is the name it’s been given. If it was Kralkatorrik, we would have been crystallized.

“What is it doing?” Amaranda asked as the dragon flew off into the distance.

“I don’t know. Patrolling maybe? We’ll have to work quickly.” They crawled out from under the ledge and immediately started cutting the large crystal. “This shouldn’t take long, hopefully.” Minutes felt like hours as Amaranda nervously kept a lookout. It felt as if the very land was alive.

“This is…” she didn’t get to finished as she was struck by something big, knocking her off her feet, almost causing her to tumble down the ridge. Ceara, focused on her work, didn’t noticed the crystalline hand reaching for her. Before she realized anything, she was being flung through the air, landing on the rocky ground.

“What in Tyria!?” she yelled as she looked up to see a huge crystalline beast lumbering towards her. “A branded ogre?” She scrambled to her feet and unslung her rifle. She fired several rounds at the creature, but it seemed unfazed as it started charging towards her, raising its great fists in the air. She rolled out of the way as they came crashing down, cracking the crystal ground. She got up and brought the rifle around, but the beast knocked it away, back handing her in the process, knocking her to the ground. She felt the creature’s hand grab her by the back of the head and hoist her in the air. She reached back trying to hit the beast with an electric charge from her gauntlet, but it was unaffected.

“Release her at once!” Ceara heard Amaranda’s voice. Opening her eyes, she was sure her vision was failing her as she saw Amaranda in multiple places around her and the beast. Each one seemed to attack the creature in a different way. Some launched beams of energy, others attacked at close range. It was enough to cause the creature to drop her to the ground, giving her time to scramble away. She turned to see the ogre flailing at the numerous Amaranda doppelgangers that were swarming it. It wasn’t long before the beast dropped to the ground, seemingly dead. The doppelgangers disappeared, leaving Amaranda standing by herself holding the beam sword the asura had given her. Ceara staggered over to her, holding her head.

“Illusions?” Ceara asked.

“Yes.”

“Since when?”

“I don’t just sit around writing all the time when I’m at home. I’ve trained a little bit.”

“A little bit? We could have used those at the pavilion.”

“Scarlet kind of caught us off guard if you remember correctly.”

“True. Are you alright?”

“Yes, just a nasty bump on the back of my head. And some cuts where I almost fell off the ledge. How about you?”

“Some cuts and bruises, head hurts a little bit.”

Amaranda knelt down and looked at the beast. “So this is a branded creature?”

“Yep.”

“Chilling. To think that could have happened to us.”

“We wouldn’t have felt it. Anyway, let’s hurry and get this over with and get out of here before more show up.” They rushed back to the crystal and Ceara continued her work. The moments seemed to drag on.

“Ok, I think we have enough.” Ceara finally said, shutting down the cutter.

“Ceara?” Amaranda said, nervously.

“Yea-“ Ceara paused as she turned to Amaranda and saw the large group of branded lumbering towards the ridge.

“Elementals? Briars! Hurry! Get them loaded!” The pair started loading the crystal shards into the container as fast as they could. Within moments they were being bombarded with crystalized energy that exploded all around them.

“Go now!” Ceara yelled at Amaranda,

“I’m not leaving without you!”

“Go! I’m right behind you!”

Amaranda used her transporter device and disappeared. Within seconds she was back in the lab.

“Yay! You made it!” cheered Joujou. “Um…where’s Scar-“ Ceara tumbled out of the waypoint beam with a pistol drawn, the containment unit clattering across the lab floor. She was covered in crystal shards. Amaranda rushed to her and helped her to her feet.

“What happened?” Joujou asked.

“Griffon. Swooped out of nowhere. Got out of the way just in time.” Ceara said, taking a deep breath. “But we got what we needed.”

“Fantastic!” Shikijo exclaimed.

Shikijo grabbed the container and opened it. “Hmm…minute electrical arcing. Not enough to be deadly. More like a large dose of static electricity.” He took out a crystal and placed it on a worktable. Grabbing a scanning device, his eyes grew wide as he passed it over the crystal.

“By the eternal alchemy…” he gasped.

“What? What is it?” Joujou asked, full of curiosity. She looked over his shoulder at the scanner. “Oh my…” she gasped.

“What are you two gasping about over there?” Ceara asked, marching towards the workbench. She looked at the scanner as well. “What are we looking at?”

“This crystal…Bring the container over here.” Amaranda grabbed it and passed it to the asura. Shikijo grabbed another from the pod and scanned it, then looked at Joujou, both of them grinning as wide as they could.

“YES!” they both exclaimed loudly.

“What are you two on about!?” Ceara asked raising her voice.

“These crystals are full of dragon energy. Kralkatorriks energy to be precise!”

“So… what does that mean?” asked Amaranda.

“It means that we could possibly have enough power here to disrupt Ms. Ghostie and really do some damage!” Joujou exclaimed.

“And what if we possibly don’t?” Ceara asked, a tinge of concern in her voice.

“Then we may be adding to her reservoir?” Shikijo replied, a look of concern on his face.

Ceara closed her eyes and sighed. “We have got to be sure that this will work. Let me see the data you have. All of it.” The two asura started opening screen and monitors around the lab. “While you two are setting up, I am once again going to change into a normal set of clothes and try to get these blasted shards out of this armor.” Ceara grabbed some of the fruit that was still on the cart and walked back to the washroom.

“Pale mother…” she muttered as started removing the pieces of her armor. She sat on the edge of the tub and removed her boots. She leaned forward, resting her arms on her knees, and stared at the floor. “What if this doesn’t work?” she muttered to herself, thinking about the vision that Ventari showed her in the Mists. She was interrupted by a knock. She found Amaranda standing in the doorway again.

“Mind if I sit down?” Amaranda asked.

“Not at all.”

Amaranda sat next to her on the edge of the tub. There was a long moment of silence. 

“What if this doesn’t work?” Ceara asked.

“It will work.” Amaranda replied. “It has to.” Ceara nodded lightly in agreement. “So, what happened in the Mists?” Amaranda asked.

Ceara thought for a moment. “I saw…well..I was chased by sand worms at first. I managed to outrun them and climbed up an outcropping to get away. I still don’t know how I did it so fast.” Amaranda smiled. “And then….” Ceara’s voiced trailed off.

“And then?” Amaranda looked at her inquisitively.

“And then…I… I saw Ventari.” Ceara fell silent for a moment. Amaranda looked at her, her mouth agape. “Well, I shot at him at first, but then I figured out who he was.” Ceara continued nonchalantly.

“YOU WHAT!?” Amaranda screeched.

“Well, I didn’t shoot directly at him. I shot over his shoulder.”

“You shot at Ventari!?”

“Well, he was rather rude. Just showed up and did this “woo-wah” thing with his staff and made the sand worms leave. He didn’t even introduce himself.”

“So you shot at him!?”

“Fine, yes, I shot at him.”

Amaranda shook her head. “You meet the one, the caretaker of our mother tree, and you shoot at him.”

“I didn’t know it was him at first. Like I said, he never introduced himself. I only figured it out once he started his mumbo-jumbo about “even the weed blossoms given enough time.” Ceara said, deepening her voice in a mockingly manner.

“I can’t believe you are mocking him.” Amaranda sighed. “What did he say to you?” Ceara fell silent and stared at the floor, remembering the vision. Amaranda grew concerned. “Ceara?”

“He said…” Ceara started, “He showed me a vision. A vision of the pale tree. How she would have looked under the jungle dragon’s control. She…would be a birthing factory of sorts. For his army. Monstrous creatures, the same as I saw in my nightmares. Creatures that…we would become.” Ceara looked at Amaranda. “And it could still happen if that thing isn’t stopped.”

“Oh no…If anything were to happen to mother…” Amaranda gasped. Ceara nodded in agreement.

“Let’s get back to work.” Ceara stood, continuing to remove her armor. “I’ll be along shortly.” Amaranda stood and headed back to the lab.

Entering the lab, Amaranda gasp as she was greeted by a myriad of screens all over the room. Each showing different schematics, diagrams, graphs, and meters.

“Oh! There you are. Where’s Scar..uuuhh…Cara? Cera?” Shikijo asked.

“Ceara. She’ll be here shortly.” Amaranda replied, eyeing the pitcher of tea and a cask of what she assumed was the winterberry ale that Ceara asked for. “Is this?…”

“Yep. It arrived while you were down the hall.”

“Ok…” Amaranda sighed, trying not to imagine what may happen after the ale starts flowing. She walked over to a seat away from the work area and sat down. “This is all so beyond me…” she thought to herself, watching the Asura frantically working. It wasn’t long before Ceara entered the lab.

“Ok, what do we…oh! we have ale! And tea!” she spouted as she saw the cart. She grabbed one of the mugs that were stacked and filled it with tea. She then opened the cask and took a deep breath, smelling the sweet aroma. Smiling brightly, she added just a tiny bit to the mug before lightly stirring it.

“Ahhhhh!” she gasped taking a sip. “It’s been too long. Now, what do we have?” she asked again looking over the room full of screens.

“Well, we’ve pulled up everything that we have on the dragons, which isn’t much. Most of it is Professor Gorr’s research showing that the dragons sustain themselves by consuming magic. We also pulled up some schematics for some equipment that we might be able to modify for use against our ghostly adversary.” Ceara looked over the all the screens until she settled her gaze on a device with the name ‘Energy Disruption Field Barrier.’

“What is this?” She asked.

“That is a device used to disrupt the flow of a predetermined energy through an area, essentially rendering anything that uses that energy useless. We’ve only managed to get it to work a couple times.” Shikijo responded.

“So, you think it will work against her?” Amaranda asked.

“It’s possible, given the right modifications. Of course, we’ve never used it against any kind of dragon energy so we have no clue what the outcome might be.”

“It’s worth a shot.” Ceara quipped. She turned her gaze to a rifle schematic. “And this one?”

“A high powered rifle that we kinda helped developed using ley energy to accelerate a high velocity projectile faster and farther than a conventional rifle. It never got any farther than building a prototype.

“Can I see it?”

“Um…sure. It’s in a vault in another part of the building. We’ll have it brought here.” Shikijo turned and nodded at Joujou. She activated a screen that brought up an image of another asura. 

“Mikki, it’s Joujou. Can you bring case number X78ER to lab 25?”

“X78ER!?” The asura exclaimed excitedly. “That super awesome rifle!? Sure thing! If you guys are working on it again, I want to be a part of it. I want to see that thing in action!”

“Uh…we’ll let you know when we’re ready to test it.” Joujou shut the screen off.

“He seemed rather excited about it.” Ceara stated, taking a sip from her tea.

“He’s a good guy. Just like’s to be adventurous a little too often.”

“What do we have here? Some kind of flying device?” Ceara looked at another screen.

“Yes! That’s my glider that I’m designing!” Joujou shrieked with exceitement.

“A glider?”

“Yep! It will be good for taking data over a large area while gliding safely above any hostile beasties!”

“I see. Couldn’t you do that with an airship?”

“We can’t afford one.”

“Well, let’s get started, shall we?” Ceara said, smiling, looking up at the hologram of her doppelganger.

“Well, I think the first thing we need to do is to cut Ms. Ghostie off from any energy supply she may be attached to.” Shikijo stated. “I believe doing so will greatly weaken her.”

“You mean cut her off from the Dream?” Amaranda asked. “You can do that?”

“Possibly. If we can tune the energy disruptor to dial into the energy signature of the Dream, we should be able to localize it around her, and cut her connection.”

“Will that keep her from travelling to the Dream?” Amaranda continued.

“More than likely, yes.

Amaranda and Ceara looked at one another. “Ok, that…that sounds good.”

“Excellent. We’ll need to set up an energy monitor and one of you will have to be attached to it so we can tune the device. Preferably Ceara, since you have the same brain energy pattern as Ms Ghostie.” Joujou stated.

“What!? You want me to open my mind to the Dream while attached to some machine!? The last time that happened, it didn’t turn out so well!”

“We know. But this time, you won’t be viewing the Eternal Alchemy. We’ll just be monitoring brain activity to get the disruptor tuned in.”

Ceara took a deep breath. She didn’t like the idea, but she did see the positive side of it. “Ok, but let it be known I’m not happy about it.”

“Great!” Joujou exclaimed. “Follow us!”

“When I said let’s get started, this isn’t what I had in mind.” Ceara muttered under her breath, taking a sip of her tea before setting the mug down. Following after Joujou, they entered a small lab not far away. There was a reclined seat attached to some monitoring equipment.

“It looks…like it hasn’t been used in a while.” Amaranada stated. “It’s quite dusty.”

“Well, yes.” Shikijo said bluntly. Amaranda and Ceara looked at each other again, a little concerned.

“Ceara, we’ll just need you to sit down, and we’ll connect the headset.”

Ceara took a deep breath and hesitantly approached the seat. She slowly sat in the chair, which was not comfortable at all. Joujou placed the headset on her and secured it.

“Ok, connecting the disruptor now. We’ll be ready in a few more moments.” Shikijo stated from behind the console. He was busily making adjustments and checking over the equipment.

“I’ll be right here.” Amaranda said to Ceara softly, placing her hand on Ceara’s arm. Ceara sighed.

“I got a bad feeling about this.” She said.

———————————————————————————————————–

Scarlet stood on a ridge overlooking the crashed giant marionette in Lornar’s Pass. She watched as members of the Durmond Priory moved about studying the pile of twisted metal.

“One of your greatest creations, my dear.” She mused to herself, leaning her head to one side slightly. “Hmm…I wonder…” She raised her hands, envisioning the giant puppet standing from it’s twisted pile by vines instead of the giant chains that was used to control it. Her smile slowly turned into a look of disgust as she slowly dropped her hands.

“Leyline energy was used to power this thing through means I…I don’t understand fully.” She said, staring off into the horizon. Moments passed before she smiled again. “Maybe another time. But now back to work.” She raised her hands again, chuckling to herself.

The Priory members were busy looking at diagrams and notes when they heard a low rumble above them. Looking to the sky, they saw a ghostly image of Scarlet’s giant machine dropping the the marionette. Ghostly forms of Scarlet’s modified watchknights appeared all around, as well as citizens of tyria. The battle raged around them.

“What in Tyria is happening!?” one of them shouted over the sounds of the ghostly chaos surrounding them.

Your end…” Scarlet said to herself before pausing. She felt a slight tinge in the back of her head. Her smile grew as she felt a connection to the Dream that she had been waiting for. 

———————————————————————————————————–

“Ok, we’re ready to start. Once we start, we’ll hopefully be able to monitor any connection to the Dream you have.”

“Ok, I’m…I’m ready.” Ceara closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Joujou started the device. Lights lit up all over the chair and beeps were heard everywhere.

“Ok, we’re getting small readings. Nothing major. Whenever you’re set.”

Ceara nodded her head and glanced at Amaranda, then slowly opened her mind to the Dream.

“Ok, we’re starting to get readings. Programming the disruptor.”

Ceara saw an image of the Pale Tree in her mind. “Mother…” she whispered. Then a sharp pain struck the back of her head. She winced, her teeth clenched together which then slowly turned into smile.

“What’s happening? The readings are all over the place!” Shikijo said.

“Ceara? What’s wrong?” Amaranda asked.

Ceara’s head fell forward.” So, you’ve returned…” she muttered. lightly laughing to herself, her bioluminescence flared brightly. “That old centaur was so kind to send you home to me.”

“No…” Amaranda eyes were wide when she realized what was happening.

Ceara looked up at her, tears starting to form in her eyes. She was gasping for air. “Hel….Hello, Amaranda. Nice to see you again.”

“SHUT THIS THING DOWN NOW!” Amaranda screamed at the asura.

“We almost have it set!”

“Look at it.” Ceara quickly turning her head to the wall. “Wasn’t it lovely? Our giant puppet. See it. We loved our killer marionette, didn’t we?”

Ceara closed her eyes and screamed. “No…Get…get out of….my head!”

“You’re lucky, my dear.” She continued to speak. “The seer seems to be helping shield you, as well as your mother tree? That’s very surprising. Plus there is…something else. Something that I don’t recognize. Hmm…interesting. A shame, really. Otherwise, I would be home right now.”

“We have it!” Joujou threw a switch and the machine powered down. Ceara gasped for air and vomited over the side of the seat. She then curled up into a ball. Amaranda knelt down beside her and put her arms around her in a comforting manner.

“It’s ok. I’m here.” She whispered.

“She was in my head again. I saw things…from the past. Images.”

“It’s ok. She not here now.” Amaranda said softly,

“I saw…” Ceara paused for a moment, before looking at Amaranda. “I saw what she plans to do.” The asura approached the seat.

“What happened?” Joujou asked cautiously.

“Scarlet happened.” Amaranda replied sternly. “This device almost allowed that thing to take control again.”

“We had defenses set up-“

“It almost wasn’t enough!” Amaranda spat angrily. She gently touched Ceara’s cheek with her hand. “What did you see?”

“Lion’s Arch…she plans to…she plans to open a rift to the Mists…and feed energy from the Mists into the exposed leyline in the harbor, using herself as the conduit.”

“What?” Shikijo asked, a very concerned look on his face. He and Joujou looked at each other and ran off.

“Come on. Let’s get you to a bed so you can rest.” Amaranda helped Ceara to her feet and walked with her to a small room next to the washroom. Inside was a bed and small table.

“I don’t…I don’t have time to rest. I have work to do.” Ceara said, a slight quiver in her voice.

“No, I’m telling you…ordering you to lay down.” Amaranda said sternly. Ceara laid down and curled up. “You rest. I’ll go see what those two are up to.” Ceara nodded her head slightly as she watched Amaranda disappear through the doorway. The asuran duo were feverishly working at their terminals when Amaranda entered the lab.

“What is going on?” she asked. The duo didn’t answer her. She approached them and looked over their shoulders. Nothing on the holo screens made any sense to her. The only thing she recognized was a map of Tyria focused on Lion’s Arch.

“This is bad.” Joujou muttered.

“What do you mean ‘bad’?” Amaranda asked.

“By these calculations…” Shikijo started. “If she uses herself as a conduit to transfer that amount of energy from the mists into the leyline…” He paused.

“Out with it.” Amaranda was becoming slightly agitated.

“She’s already a walking bomb. You add that kind of energy from the Mists…we’re looking at a catastrophe that could completely flatten what’s left of Lion’s Arch, but part of Gendarran to the north, Bloodtide to the west, and the Dominion of the Winds to the east. An explosion so big that it would alter the face of that region of Tyria. All that volatile energy…”

“We won’t let that happen.” Ceara’s voice said behind them.

Amaranda turned to see Ceara leaning against the dorrway. “Ceara? What are you doing out of the bed? You should be resting.”

“No rest for the wicked, so they say. We need to work fast. She needs to be stopped now.” Ceara stated, looking up at the hologram of her doppelganger.

“The rifle is here.” Shikijo said, pointing to a large case set off to the side. Ceara looked over at it, a small smile on her face.

“Oof!” she gasped as she lifted it by the handles. It was much heavier than anticipated. She got it up on a workbench and popped the locks open. Raising the cover, she gasped, her eyes wide.

“It’s never been fired. We don’t even know if it works.” Shikijo said to her, walking up to her side. She lifted it out of the protective material inside.

“Pale mot…” she cut herself off. She couldn’t believe the weight of the weapon. But it was balanced. “Couldn’t you have made this thing lighter?” She looked it over, already making modifications in her head to improve the design.

“That’s one of the reason’s it’s never been tested.”

“Well, then we’ll just have to test it.” She said smiling at Amaranda.

“That might be a bit tricky. We don’t have a leyline powercell to power it.”

“Oh really? I think I know where we can get one.” Ceara responded playfully. Shikijo and Joujou looked at each other, somewhat cautiously excited.

“Where!?” they asked in unison.

“The pack of my armor. It houses 3 powercells. We could-“ Ceara paused lost in thought. 

“We could what?” Joujou asked. A smile grew over Ceara’s face. She looked down at the rifle.

“Ceara?” Amaranda asked. “What are you thinking?”

“I could create an interface between this rifle and my gauntlets to feed it the power it needs. Definitely something to look into.” She said thoughtfully. “But anyway, lets test it out, shall we!? I shall return momentarily!” Taking a sip from her tea, her eyes bright. Ceara rushed out of the lab to retrieve the pack from her armor.

“I have a feeling we’re in for some trouble.” Amaranda muttered. Ceara returned shortly and place the power pack on a worktable. She wasted no time opening it, revealing 3 small powercells inside that were charged with leyline energy. She removed one and held it up in front of her.

“Here. Will this work?” she asked.

“It’s a little smaller than needed, but we might be able to make it work.” Shikijo grabbed some tools and removed a panel on the stock of the rifle, exposing an empty compartment where a powercell would plug in. Ceara placed the cell inside.

“Just a little too short. We might be able to weld a piece onto this contact point to extend it to make it work, as well as put tension on the cell so it doesn’t move.”

“What are we waiting for!? Let’s do it!”

“Amarda, please bring that welder over here.” Shikijo asked pointing at a small device on a shelf nearby.

“Amaranda…” she replied.

“Sorry, Amaranda.” Amaranda grabbed the unit and placed it on the table in front of him. Joujou handed him a small piece of metal.

“Everyone step back while I work.” Shikijo placed his goggles on and started welding the small piece into the compartment.

“What are you planning?” Amaranda asked Ceara quietly.

“If that rifle is as powerful as they say it is, and if those crystals can harm her? I’m going to make bullets out of them to use against her and put one right between her eyes.

“Won’t that…won’t that kill you too?” Amaranda gasped. Ceara stared at the rifle, lost in thought for a moment.

“It may, but that’s the price that will have to be paid.” She sighed. “And I’ve already paid it once, in a way.”

Amaranda looked at her puzzled. “What do you mean?”

“The vision I had in the mists. The way to end that nightmare…I had to kill myself. It wasn’t pleasant. But…I believe all roads lead to that ending.” She looked at Amaranda.

“No. They don’t. It won’t end that way. There must be another way.”

“I don’t think there is.”

“I don’t believe it.”

“There! It’s in and the powercell is secured! Shall we test it out?” Shikijo asked excitedly. 

“Oh course!” Ceara squealed with a huge smile on her face. She lifted the rifle and looked it over. Flipping a small switch on the side near the trigger, the rifle lit up, humming to life.

“I may need a moment to myself!” she exclaimed excitedly.

“Ceara!” Amaranda yelled.

“What!? This…this is…I can’t even describe it!” she stated looked at Amaranda. “Would you like to hold it!?”

“No…no…” Amaranda sighed.

“Do we have any ammunition for it!?”

“Um…we did?…not sure where it might be.

Ceara’s face fell. “Really? Are you serious?” Her shoulders slumped as she lowered the rifle to the table, shutting it off. “What a mood killer, you are.”

“Well…we hadn’t planned on getting back to it anytime soon. Plus, we don’t really know if it will actually fire a bullet or not. It might even just detonate in your hands.”

“You two disappoint me.” Ceara sighed. “At least I have this…” she took another sip from her tea.

“We’ll make some bullets.” Joujou stated.

“Of course we will!” Ceara replied. “Along with all the other gear we’ll need! Now, let’s get to work!” The hours seemed to stretch forever as the group worked feverishly modifying existing equipment and creating new gear to stop Scarlet Briar and her plan. Eventually, the asura were starting to slow in their work as sleep was wearing on them. They retired to one of the small sleeping quarters to rest. Amaranda also was starting to tire as the night wore on.

“Why don’t you go get some sleep?” Ceara asked her, soldering some circuitry together.

“I should.”

“Go. I’ll be fine.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. You’re about to fall over.”

“Ok…” Amaranda nodded. “I’ll be back soon.” She walked out of the lab towards the small room next to the washroom.

“Hmm..if I adjust this output flow here, this will allow just a little more air into the chamber to give the charge a bit more explosive power.” She said to herself as she adjusted some of the equipment they had quickly developed to hopefully stop Scarlet and capture her, if that was indeed possible.

“Ah, you’ve really outdone yourself this time, Ceara. She’ll never see it coming…” her voice drifted off. “Like they never saw it coming…” Her thoughts turned to Lions Arch and that fateful day. She gently laid her tools down and stared at the table in silence. She lifted her hands and looked at her palms. “There is not anything I can do that will ever clean the blood from these hands…” she said. She sat back in her chair dropping her arms to her sides, closing her eyes, an emptiness in her chest. “I’m so sorry…” she whispered. She opened her eyes slowly and focused on the bottle of ale on the table.

———————————————————————————————————–

Amaranda awoke. She wasn’t sure what time it was, only that her right leg was stiff from the position she found herself in. As she stretched it out, she could hear mumbling coming from the direction of the lab

“She is still working?” Amaranda sighed lightly. “I guess those stories are true. She’ll work herself to death if she could.” Amaranda stood and stretched. As she approached the door to the lab, she realized the mumbling she heard was Ceara singing the song of the Pale Tree, except slurred and greatly out of tune. Reaching the door, she was overcome by the heavy stench of the winterberry ale. She saw Ceara, practically naked, partially slumped over a worktable, her head resting on her arm as she toyed with a small piece of equipment. She cut her eyes over at Amaranda.

“Ama…Amad…Amee! You’re here!“ Ceara exploded with joy. “I need more tea. Can you fetch me some?”

“Ceara, what is going on? You…you’re inebriated! And..and where are your clothes!?” Ceara was wearing just the barest of clothing.

“I’m not in..ene..I’ve only had a little bit to drink! I just took a short break. And my clothes are right…”Ceara looked around herself staggeringly…”They’re right there!” she said, pointing to her clothes piled in a corner. “Well, you know me? Work until I fall down!”

“Yes, but not like this.” Amaranda grabbed the empty bottle of ale and shook her head. She sighed heavily. “Come on, you need to rest.”

“No, there’s no time.” Ceara slurred. “We have to defeat… “ Ceara contorted her lips mischievously, her eyes wide. “My mind!.” She started laughing. “My own mind!…or…a part of my mind. Whatever it is.”

“No, right now, you’re going to sleep this off.” Amaranda said, grabbing Ceara’s arm. 

“Don’t you dare touch me.” Ceara barked drunkenly. “Do you know….do you…do you know who I am?”

“Yes” Amaranda replied sighing.

“Good! Who am I?” Ceara narrowed her eyes, an impishly big grin on her face as she laughed to herself.

“Ceara.”

“Wrong! I’m Starlet…sar…” “Ceara paused, looking somewhat confused. “Something Briar! “She suddenly blurted out. “Ceara was a nerdy loser student who wanted to do great things. But I did them instead! HA!” Ceara said, haphazardly laughing.

“Sure, you’re Scarlet Briar.” Amaranda agreed.

“Yes! I’m Starlet Briar!”

“Right. And right now, you need to rest.”

“There is no rest for the wicked, my darling. Now bring me more tea.”

“I’ll bring you more tea, if you go lay down.”

“You can’t bargain with me, Amee. I do the bargaining around here. I’m the bargainer. You’re the bargainee.” Ceara snorted and started laughing again.

“Ok, fine. I’ll take you to get more tea.”

“Now you’re talking! Let’s go get more tea!” Amaranda grabbed her arm again. “What are you doing?”

“I’m leading you to the tea.”

Right! Let’s go!”

“By the pale tree, you are a disaster.”

“That’s right. I’m the most beautiful disaster Tyrias have ever known. I mean all the Tyrias. All of them! Wherever I go, I disaster.” Ceara playfully sneared.

“Yep” Amaranda sighed. Ceara pulled away from her.

“You know what we should do, Amee? We should…we should find Canuckle…and Lan..Laran…that Vigil guy…and we should all have a secondborn party!. Mother’s disaster children! All of us…and not invite any of those shady firstborns. What do you think!?” Amaranda rolled her eyes and grabbed Ceara’s arm again. She led her back to the room where she had been sleeping.

“This doesn’t look like any tea. There’s no tea here. You lied to me.”

Amaranda pushed Ceara down on the bed. “That wasn’t very nice, Amee.” Ceara protested, laughing again

“You’ll thank me later. Now get some rest.”

“I can’t. The nightmares will get me.” She slurred. “because…there’s one…right there!” Ceara awkwardly pointed at Amaranda and giggled again.

“Go to sleep, Ceara.”

“Ok…” Ceara closed her eyes and started snoring. Amaranda watched her for a few moments before grabbing a blanket.

“AAAAAAAHHH!!!!!” Amaranda jumped to the far side of the room as Ceara screamed behind her. She turned to see Ceara smiling at her.

“It was nightmares.” She said smiling. Amaranda just glared at her.

Cearas smiled faded as she stared at Amaranda. “Are you mad at me, Amee?” she asked softly. Amaranda said nothing. Ceara looked down at the floor for a moment before rolling over, facing away from Amaranda. “Nobody likes me, Amee. The whole world hates me.” She said softly. She pulled a sheet over her and curled up into a ball. Amaranda sighed and knelt next to her.

“Sister” she said softly as she put her hand gently on Cearas shoulder. Ceara seemingly tried to shrug it off.

“I’m so sorry…” Ceara sobbed lightly “It made me hurt everyone.” Amaranda rested her head on Cearas shoulder.

“Sister…” she whispered. “It will be ok.”

———————————————————————————————————–

Scarlet opened her eyes. She was sitting on her throne of vines in the Dream. “It was nice to be home for a little while…” she thought. “So close.” She looked at a ghostly image of Ceara floating in the air before her. Her eyes thinning, she looked down at her hands. Ghostly flames erupted lightly from them. “Maybe…” She stood and walked over to the image, the cold dead ground of the Dream crackling beneath her feet. She slowly passed her hand through Ceara’s face. “Possibly…” she muttered looking at her hands again. Turning her gaze towards the horizon, she could sense the jungle dragon stirring.

“It’s time.” She said out loud. She faded from the Dream, appearing on a beach in Lion’s Arch. The morning sun was just breaking the horizon, slowly bathing the sky in hues of red and orange. She looked out over Sanctum Harbor, the twisted remains of the Breachmaker jutting out of the water.

“A beginning and an ending.” She smiled. “But as one door closes, another shall open.” She floated out over the water, approaching an area where steam rose and the water boiled from where the exposed leyline was leaking energy. Dropping into the water, she circled her way around the gigantic drill bit that was once part of the Breachmaker, singing to herself as she followed its flutes down to bedrock below the harbor. As she neared the bottom, she could feel the energy seeping out.

“Look at you. Aren’t you so precious!?” she gasped, smiling widely. “I need a moment.” As she fanned herself with her hand, acting as though she was going to faint, then laughing to herself. She held out her hands towards the leyline. “Now…” she spoke as the energy slowly drew towards her. She felt herself empowered. “It’s…intoxicating…” she smiled. She looked herself over, her ghostly body glowing brighter than it ever had before. She felt strange. A tingling sensation, like needles where piercing her from every direction. She laughed and retraced her flight back around the flutes of the drill, breaking the surface of the water, the stream of white energy trailing behind her. She turned towards the morning sun. “A new world is dawning.” She laughed.


	11. It's All Going To Be Ok

_Sometimes help is right in front of us_

East of Sanctum Harbor in the ruins of Fort Mariner, Guardsman Taranis was going about his daily routine of going over documents concerning the cleanup effort of Lion’s Arch.

“Sir, we have an issue in the harbor.” A member of the Lionguard spoke entering the tent, saluting him. Taranis looked up at him, a concerned look on his face. He already knew what was happening.

“What is it?” he asked anyway.

“There is some kind of energy spire, for lack of a better term, erupting from the water. It looks to be from the same area Scarlet’s drill machine breached the bottom of the harbor.

“Scarlet…” Taranis said to himself.

“Sir?”

Taranis took a deep breath. “Get some of the Priory brainiacs to check it out. See what they can find. Then report back to me immediately.”

“Yes sir.” The soldier saluted and ran from the tent. Taranis stepped out into the morning sun and looked out over the fort ruins. Slowly he looked at the ground before him.

“I…I understand.” He muttered. He sighed and returned to his desk. Sitting, he pulled a blank sheet of parchment in front of him, grabbed a quill and ink bottle and started writing.

———————————————————————————————————–

Amaranda stood on a beach, looking out over the calm water before her. A light breeze blew past her. She was in the Dream, in a place familiar to her.

“She is a fragile flower.” a voice spoke lightly echoing through the air. “Though she looks strong against the breeze, that strength hides a fragility that must be cared for, for even the slightest faltering can cause it to lose its petals and whither.”

“Yes, mother.”

“She may not be the monster she once was, but there in resides a brokenness that will take much time to heal.” Another voice spoke behind her.

Amaranda turned, looking over her shoulder. “Ventari…” she gasped. The ghostly image of the aged centaur walking slowly towards her. He stood beside her and looked out over the water.

“Her mind has been trampled upon, stripped bare and used without her control.” He turned to her. “Amaranda the Lonesome. She has come to trust you. Should she falter, you must be her rock, her foundation. The pillar which she leans upon when she struggles to carry the weight on her shoulders.” Amaranda stared at him for a moment, then nodded.

“Now, the time is approaching.” He tapped his staff against the ground, sending out a low rumbling that echoed through the air. Amaranda snapped awake. She was laying on the floor of the small room in the lab. She checked the bed for Ceara, but it was empty.

“Oh, no…” she got up and hurried from the room. Rushing into the lab, she found Ceara dressed in her armor, packing various small devices into different satchels. The two Asura were there as well standing quietly nearby, looking on.

“Ceara!? What are you doing!?” Amaranda asked sternly, but somewhat confused. Ceara didn’t answer her, seemingly ignoring her. “Ceara!?” Amaranda asked again, rushing over and grabbing Ceara’s arm.

“What does it look like? I’m leaving to go face that thing.” Ceara replied without looking at her.

“Not without us. We’re going to help!” Amaranda said.

“No…no you aren’t.” Ceara replied sternly. “You three are staying here. It’s me, she wants. Not you. If you go, she’ll kill all of you.”

“You don’t know that. We can stop her. All of us together. You don’t have to go alone.” Amaranda looked at her. “Mother wants to see you…”

Ceara closed her eyes. “Mother?” she said under her breath, a slight hint of disgust in her voice. She turned to Amaranda. “Tell her I’m ok.”

“Don’t do this.” Amaranda pleaded.

“I have to.”

“There are other paths. The road doesn’t have to end this way!” Amaranda continued to plead. Ceara pulled her arm away and stepped away from her. “Mother weeps for you.” Amaranda paused. “I was happy to have you back, I was happy to call you sister…” Amaranda said, her voice choking as she turned away from Ceara, covering her face to hide the tears that were starting to form. Ceara paused, looking at the floor. Her chest was heavy.

“I’m sorry.” She said, taking a deep breath holding back a tear that was forming in her own eye. She activated the waypoint transporter and disappeared from the lab. Silence filled the room, save for the random beep and low hum of some machinery.

“She left the rifle.” Shikijo whispered.

“Yeah but look. There’s something attached to it.” Joujou said quietly, pointing to the stock of the weapon. The duo looked at the small disc shaped device, two blue lights blinking in sequence.

“What is it?” he asked. “Looks like some kind of tracking device?”

“And look over there. The same devices attached to those brand crystals.” The duo looked inquisitively at each other. 

“What are we going to do? We can’t just let her go fight that thing alone!” Amaranda whimpered.

“We aren’t.” Joujou stated matter of factly. “We’re going after her. She’s not the only one with a waypoint transporter.”

Amaranda looked at the duo. “How do we find out where she went?”

“Easy!” Shikijo responded upbeat. “We know that ghostie is going to do something in Lion’s Arch, so it’s an easy guess that your sis went there. All we have to do is access the waypoint network and find out which one received a transport signal within the past few minutes.” He walked to a terminal and started typing on the floating keyboard. Amaranda watched as a bunch of random numbers and information displayed rapidly across the screen. After a few moments it stopped. Shikijo touched one key and a partial map of Tyria appeared. A small blip was flashing in Lion’s Arch.

“There.” Joujou said, pointing at it. “She ported to the southwest part of the harbor.”

“The south part of the city. Can we get there now?” Amaranda asked.

“We’ll need to gather some gear and then we can be on our way.” Joujou replied.

Amaranda responded ecstatically “Please hurry!”

———————————————————————————————————–

Scarlet hovered in the air above the wreckage of the Breachmaker, the trail of leyline energy streaming behind her. Focusing, she held her hands above her, energy crackling around her body.

“And now it’s time…” she smiled. Moments passed but nothing was happening. She looked at her hands for a moment, a puzzled look on her face before reaching out again. Still nothing. “What is wrong!?” she asked out loud. She concentrated, focusing her mind again, reaching towards the sky above her. It felt as if something was fighting against her. After a few moments the air above her seemed to stir. She focused her mind, concentrating harder until a tear seemed to appear before her. She started laughing, trying to contain her excitement. The rift slowly opened wider allowing her to see the Mists on the other side. She could feel the energy starting to seep through, slowly flowing towards her. She felt a sensation as the two energies started to mix within her ghostly body, a power of which she had never dreamed. She brought her hands back down to her, looking at her palms. She was glowing brighter than ever. She closed her eyes and focused. She felt every bit of her being go numb as she gasped for air. Opening her eyes, she looked at her hands again. She was no longer glowing. Her body was solid, her hands shaking.

“It…it worked…” she gasped looking down at her new body. She started laughing to herself, stopping abrupty. “She’s here…” She looked over her shoulder to see Ceara standing on the cliff not far away. “She came home…” Scarlet slowly floated down to Ceara, the two staring at each other for what seemed for hours.

“Well, how do I look…sister…?” Scarlet asked somewhat snidely. She slowly turned in the air, before looking at Ceara, somewhat menacingly.

“Do you know what you are doing?” Ceara asked.

Scarlet was slightly dumbfounded by the question. “What a silly question to ask. Of course, I do. You do as well. Remember, we are one and the same.”

“No…we are not. You aren’t a part of me.” Ceara spat at her. “You’re a part of that jungle dragon!”

Scarlet closed her eyes and chuckled to herself. “Believe what you will…Scarlet…Briar.” Her voice resonating a hint of the same voice Ceara heard when she saw the Eternal Alchemy. The voice of the jungle dragon. “I am a part of you. Just as a part of me resides within all Sylvari.”

“You realize that combining all this energy together could destroy this whole section of Tyria? You do know that, right?”

Scarlet tilted her head in disbelief. “Am I…am I hearing sympathy for Tyria…from you? You of all people. Did that seer mess with your head? Have you forgotten what you have done over the past year?

“That was not me. That was you. You made me do those things.” Ceara replied sternly.

“Oh no no…” Scarlet quipped shaking her finger at Ceara. “You were the one that planned out everything…that designed every-“ Scarlet was cut short by a loud pop and a searing pain in her left shoulder. She slowly looked down to see black ichorous fluid oozing from a hole in her shoulder. Tiny bolts of electricity arced over her shoulder and down her arm. She looked back at Ceara who was holding a small pistol.

“You…you shot me!?” she said in disbelief, somewhat mortified.

A thorned vine suddenly shot past Ceara, grazing the side of her head. Shocked, she looked back at Scarlet who was looking at her with a severe disgusted look on her face.

“Well, it’s a shame really. I was aiming for your head…” Ceara sneered, looking at the pirate woman’s pistol with disappointment. “I guess I should have check to see of the barrel was straiiiAAAHHH!!” In an instant, she was pulled off the ground, strung up by vines. Scarlet marched up to her, grabbing the pistol from her hand, crushing it.

“Well, what other toys do you have!?” Scarlet growled at Ceara. She ripped the holster from her Ceara’s hip and crushed the aetherblade pistol within it in her hand. She then looked at the gauntlet on Ceara’s right arm.

“That thing…” she sneered. Grabbing it, she crushed it and tore it from Ceara’s arm. She grabbed the armored shoulder plate on Ceara’s right shoulder and ripped it off as well. She narrowed her eyes and held up a hand. A vine sprouted from the ground and wrapped around the pack on Ceara’s back, ripping it from her body. Scarlet motioned and the vine turned towards her, bringing the power pack in front of her. Scarlet grabbed it, digging her thorned fingers into the outer casing, tearing the cover off, revealing the leyline power cells inside. Scarlet looked at them for a moment, then up at Ceara.

“I seem to remember there being three of them in here, not two.” Scarlet said inquisitively, holding the pair of cells up in front of her.

“Well, you see, I was bored last night so I used one to power a little pleasurable toy for myself.” Ceara said sarcastically, a wide smile on her face. Scarlet looked at her somewhat dumbfounded for a moment.

“I guess Lord Faren still isn’t available.” She hissed before absorbing the energy of the cells into herself, casting the empty casings over the cliff.

“Well, he is rich, you know. He has women hanging all over him.”

“Mmhmm…maybe if you had kept your roses, he might have been attracted to you. Should I cut the other one off as well so at least you’re even on both sides?”

“Cut the other…?” Ceara looked on the ground to see the remains of one the stalks from her head mangled by the thorn vine that swept past her. “It’ll grow back.” Ceara said, a half smile on her face.

“I was hoping to return home…” Scarlet spoke as she approached Ceara. “To you…” she whispered as she caressed Ceara’s chin. Ceara sneered slightly at her before spitting at her face.

“You dare…” Scarlet growled, wiping her chin. She raked her thorn tipped fingers across Ceara’s face, slicing open her skin. Ceara watched as similar wounds appeared on Scarlet’s face, the same black fluid seeping from the them. Scarlet paused a moment, bringing her hand up and slowly wiping her cheek. She stared at the fluid on her fingers, rubbing them together before looking at Ceara.

“We are still connected…” she whispered, smiling at Ceara. She noticed the hole in Ceara’s bodice where she had been stabbed by the Pact Commander. “Memories.” She whispered as she stuck her finger through the hole, the ice-cold touch against Ceara’s skin cause her to lightly gasp. “You were at death’s door that day. That is why I left you. But it seems I made an error in judgement. Somehow, you survived. Nine lives, I suppose.”

“You left because your ‘daddy’ cut you off.” Ceara remarked snidely. “You would have ceased to exist. That’s why you needed the Dream. You needed the energy to survive. ‘Daddy’ didn’t need you anymore.”

Scarlet sneered and turned away from Ceara. “He didn’t leave. He was awakened by you. He didn’t need YOU anymore. And myself? Now, now I have this…” gesturing at her own body. “I have no need for you anymore either, but…” she looked over her shoulder at Ceara . “I do need your intellect.”

Ceara laughed out loud. “It’s just as I thought…you’re dumb!”

Scarlet’s jaw dropped for a moment before her face turned into a sneer. “You dare mock me?”

“Of course!”

Scarlet marched back to her and raised her hand to her face. Ceara continued to laugh. “You didn’t see it, did you? All that time you spent in my head trying to play “daddy’s favorite” you didn’t see it at all.” Ceara continued through her laughter.

Scarlet paused. “What are you talking about?”

Ceara continued to laugh under her breath. “At first I didn’t know what was happening. Wasn’t sure if I what I was doing was my own ambition or something elses. But eventually I figured it out. I knew I couldn’t stop you. I couldn’t beat you. You constantly fed off the power of the jungle dragon, getting stronger.” She paused, smiling. “I wasn’t called the ‘silver-tongued sylvari’ for nothing.”

“Out with it!” Scarlet shouted.

“I gave in to you. Gave you all the knowledge you needed to go through with your plans. But all the while, I was pulling YOUR strings. Maneuvering you into your own downfall. You may have thought that breaching that leyline would awaken Mordremoth, but what I did was maneuver you into alerting Trahearne and his merry little army the location of the jungle dragon, without you even knowing it. Even now, the Pact is mobilizing to attack your precious ‘father’,” Ceara said, surly defiance filled her voice.

“You lie!”

“Do I? Why don’t you go to the desert wastes of Maguuma and check for yourself? Or you could stay here and try to open that rift-“ Ceara was cut off by Scarlet’s fingers grabbing her face.

“Enough!” Scarlet barked.

“Scarlet Briar!” a voiced shouted behind her. She turned to see Amaranda and the two asura approaching on the cliff.

“Hm, it seems the cavalry has arrived.” Ceara muttered, seeing her breath through Scarlet’s cold fingers.

Scarlet glanced back at Ceara. “I’ll deal with you later.” She pulled her hand away from Ceara’s face slowly, dragging her thorned fingers across her cheeks, scratching Ceara’s skin. She waved her hand whimsically, causing the vines holding Ceara to sway back and forth violently before tossing Ceara over the cliff’s edge out into the water.

“No!” Amaranda screamed as Ceara disappeared over the edge.

“So, seer, little ones…there would have been a place for you in the new world to come, but you have chosen to stand against the jungle dragon. Such a shame.” Scarlet sneered.

Ceara had seconds to activate the shield device in her satchel before impacting the water below. Though the shield saved her from certain death, hitting the water still knocked the wind out of her.

“At least the water is warm.” She thought to herself, attributing the fact to the leaking leyline energy was keeping it heated. She broke the surface, drawing in a deep breath. The air at the water’s surface smelled slightly of ozone.

“She’s definitely not the brightest bulb.” Ceara drew a deep breath. “I didn’t think she would do something like that.” she muttered looking up at the cliff. “I hate to say that about myself. I could have been killed and she would not exist anymore…unless…unless that body does give her her own life now?” She swam towards a piece of wreckage from the Breachmaker. Climbing out of the water, she stood looking at the ridge.

“Thorns. I didn’t anticipate her destroying all my gear. Now that she’s preoccupied with Amee and the asura, this would have been the best chance…eh?” A soft glow in the water near the wreckage caught her eye. “Well…there you are….” She smirked to herself.

———————————————————————————————————–

“We’re getting readings off the spire. It looks like that rift leads to the Mists and it’s mixing with the leyline energy from the breach.” Bodil said. She was a norn scholar of the Durmand Priory. She and a few others had been called in by the Lionguard to investigate the energy disturbance in the harbor. “There’s readings of other energy in the mix as well.”

“Alert. Unusual energy readings on the south cliff.” The golem with them announced.

“South cliff? What is it?” another priory member asked. The golem stepped forward and projected a hologram screen in front of it. The blurry image showed 4 figures on top of the cliff as well as some other movement.

“Can you focus in on what’s up there? Possibly get a clearer image?” Bodil asked. Scan lines went through the image numerous times before it became clear enough to see.

“Spirits…” Bodil muttered as the image showed Scarlet Briar surrounded by vines, two asura were coiled in them, held aloft from the ground. Another sylvari knelt on the ground in front of her, a vine wrapped around her neck.

“I knew it!” Lionguardsman Garanth Stonecutter exclaimed. “I knew that ghost was more than just a ghost!” He coughed.

“Well, now’s your chance to use her for target practice.” Vigil soldier Brom Silvertooth replied.

“You got that right! Let’s get up. I’m gonna send that stick back to the Mists through that rift myself for afflicting me this cough!” The duo started rushing off.

“Wait! We don’t…” Bodil shouted after them, but they weren’t listening. She sighed deeply. “Spirits protect them.”

———————————————————————————————————–

“Seer, your tricks won’t work on me.” Scarlet sneered at Amaranda as she approached the struggling sylvari. Amaranda tried to attack Scarlet with her illusions, but her attack was undone before they were able to do anything. She wrapped Amaranda in vines and brought her low. Scarlet gently grasped Amaranda chin and stared down at her, looking into her eyes.

“Now, child…” Scarlet spoke, her voice a mix of her own, and something else, a deeper more foreboding tone.

“No…” Amaranda gasped, recognizing the voice as the elder jungle dragon.

“You and your dear sister will be the first. You will turn your mother tree to me.” Scarlet snarled.

“Don’t you touch her!” Shikijo yelled.

“If you hurt her, you’ll answer to us!” Joujou added, as they both struggled against the vines that were holding them.

“Asura…” Scarlet growled. Your time will-“ She was interrupted by the sound of a teleport. As she turned, a thunderous sound reverberated across the cliff top as a searing pain tore through her shoulder. Electricity arced over Scarlet’s body. Amaranda winced as the black ichor splattered across her. She could feel the vines loosening.

“You…” Scarlet looked up, grimacing in pain. Ceara stood on the far side of the cliff, adorned in her scarlet red shoulder pauldrons and gauntlets lined with Asuran crystals, the same that allowed her to generate and control her holograms during the Breachmaker battle. She held the large rifle from the lab. A look of great disgust on her face.

“So…” Scarlet gasped, her breathing labored. “You found your toys…”

Ceara stared at her doppelganger, her eyebrows furrowed, her face stoic in digust. “I’ve had enough of you. The things you made me do.” She said through gritted teeth.

“Well, remember, darling. I’m here for the-“

“So hello to Mordremoth for me!” Ceara cut her off and quickly brought the rifle to bear, firing three more rounds. The first caught Scarlet in the center of her chest, piercing through her body. The second hit her in the throat, and the third hit her in the forehead, throwing her back off her feet.

“It works!” squealed Joujou with excitement. “The rifle works!!” The asura were dropped from the vines as Scarlet fell. Ceara looked at the rifle, its barrel was glowing so hotly that it was starting to droop.

“This steel can’t handle the leyline energy.” She muttered tossing the rifle on the ground. She held her hand up in front of her, the crystals of her gauntlet glowing as a small holographic screen appeared in front of her. She typed a few keys and a branded crystal, fashioned into the shape of a crude blade with a simple hlt. appeared in her hand.

“Hehehehe…you…you think you can stop me…” Scarlet spat, gasping for air, her voice garbled by the wound in her neck. Ceara paused as she looked upon her doppelganger. Half of Scarlets face and skull had been torn off from the crystal bullet that passed through it. She continued laughing as she slowly reconstructed herself. “You…you were such the good puppet. Doing my bidding. Doing…his bidding.” Scarlet glanced at the crystal weapon Ceara was holding. “You do realize darling…as long as you live…as long as you exist…I…I am FOREVER!” Scarlet growled. Vines wrapped around Ceara’s feet, tripping her. Scarlet rose to her feet, catching Ceara’s throat in her grasp as she fell. “Now…it’s time for you to come home…” Scarlet growled through her teeth. Her eyes ignited in a bright white fire. “Return to me…” Ceara heard the jungle dragon in her mind.

“No…” Ceara whimpered. Her hands dropping to her sides, the blade falling from her grip. She could feel Scarlet trying to dig into her mind, into her psyche, trying to pull Ceara’s soul into herself.

“No!” Amaranda shouted.

“It’s now or never!” Joujou shouted. Her and Shikijo both pressed buttons on their gauntlets, launching tiny discs that landing around Scarlet. Scarlet glanced down at them just in time to see them erupt into an electric field of sorts. Searing pain wracked Scarlet’s body as she was seemingly frozen in place. Ceara was thrown back by the discharge of energy. Grasping at her head, she screamed in pain as it felt as if someone was splitting her skull open from the inside. She dropped to her knees and cried out as loud as she could. She vomited as the pain wracked through her mind. She saw images flash before her, scenes from her life after Scarlet, and before Scarlet. She saw the face of the creature that infiltrated her mind. The face of the jungle dragon. She howled in pain again before collapsing on the ground.

“You were my chosen one.” It growled deeply at her. “My champion. You who awoke me from my slumber. Now, you betray me. Just as your mother betrayed me.” Ceara felt the jungle dragon in her mind, but the pain was too much for her to focus to resist. Her vision clouded as a golden light and a loving voice filled with warmth seemed to envelope her.

“Never again.” it spoke softly but firmly, echoing through her mind.

“Then you shall perish.” The dragon’s voice roared as it disappeared into the murky darkness. Amaranda ran up to her, kneeling down and rolling Ceara over. Ceara vision cleared as she was gasping for air, tears rolling down the sides of her face.

“What…what’s happening to me?” she asked weakly.

“I…I’m not sure….” Amaranda cradled Ceara as she looked at the frozen Scarlet. Joujou and Shikijo approached the energy cage.

“It worked!” Joujou exclaimed looking at a holographic readout projecting from a small device. “Ms. Ghostie is in a stasis, as well as cut off from any energy supply she may have been connected to!” They turned to the rift in the sky just in time to see it slowly disperse. The spire of leyline energy also ebbed into the water.

“You…you cut her off…” Ceara asked, slowly getting to her feet with Amaranda’s help.

“Yep! Even from the Dream.” Shikijo stated, seemingly very proud of himself.

“The Dream?” Ceara thought for a moment before looking at Amaranda. “Does that mean…she’s even cut off from me?” She said, still trying to catch her breath.

“It would appear so.” Joujou replied to her while looking at her gauntlet, a small holographic projection above it. “Though I will apologize for the psychic backlash from that separation. We didn’t realize that would happen.” They were interrupted by the sound of heavy footsteps coming up the cliffside. The group turned to see two heavily armored charr crest the ridge, one in heavy Vigil armor, the other a Lionguardsman. The charr paused, seemingly assessing the situation.

“What in Tyria is happening here!?” one of them growled finally. “And who is that? and Scarlet Briar is here?” he asked, pointing at the stasis field and at Ceara.

“Well, sir, you see, we have just stopped Scarlet Briar from empowering the elder jungle dragon with Mist energy.” Shikijo stated, his chin held high in confidence. “Might I have your names?” he asked.

“Garanth Stonecutter.” The Lionguardsman stated, staring at Ceara.

“Brom Silvertooth. Vigil Crusader.” The other followed. “So… which one is Scarlet Briar?”

“The one suspended in stasis.” Joujou replied.

“Then who is that?” Garanth asked pointing at Ceara.

“That’s Cara.” Shikijo stated.

“Ceara.” Amaranda corrected him. She heard Ceara stifle a small laugh.

“It hurts to laugh.” Ceara whimpered.

“Ceara.” Shikijo repeated.

“So there are two Scarlet Briars!?” the Lionguardsman asked sternly.

“Well…no, only one…but kind of two…you see, Ceara’s mind fragmented when she viewed the Eternal Alchemy and Mordremoth started taking control of her. This aspect of Mordremoth took part of her mind and became the thing you see in the field.”

Amaranda and Ceara watched as the Asura explained to the Charr what happened. Amaranda turned to Ceara “Is this over? Finally?” she asked in a hush tone.

Ceara lightly shook her head, staring at her doppelganger in the energy field. “I don’t think so…” Amaranda turned to see Scarlet glaring at them, the side of her head slowing regenerating, a strained smile growing across her face which turned into a silent scream.

“Oh no…” Amaranda gasped. The energy cage exploded in a flash of blinding light. When their vision cleared, they saw Scarlet was on the ground kneeling on one knee.

“Your little energy trap was somewhat brilliant, little ones. Only…” She started to rise. “All it did was feed me. Now… let’s even the odds.” She raised her hands in the air, the ground erupting around them as great beasts of vines and branches crawled forth from the very rock itself.

“What in Tyria are those!?” Garanth exclaimed.

“Modrem…” Ceara gasped, recognizing the creatures from her nightmares, and the vision Ventari showed her. “Minions of Mordremoth!” she yelled.

“You all will suffer for your insolence! All of Tyria will suffer!” Scarlet shouted, pointing at Ceara.

“Then let’s dance.” Ceara responded. The beasts charged forward, lashing out at the nearest person. Ceara put her hands up in front of her as the asuran crystals that adorned her armor started to glow. A small set of holographic panels appeared in front of her that she rapidly typed on. A pair of holographic clones appeared next to her and attacked the charging beasts. Amaranda ignited the beam sword she had gotten form the asuras, creating her own clone illusions which joined the battle. The asuran duo typed on small panels on their gauntlets and numerous drones and weaponry teleported in around them. The Charr, brandishing their weapons, let out a booming warcry and charged full speed into the incoming mordrem. The fighting was fierce. It seemed as each mordrem fell, another rose to takes its place.

“If we can last long enough, she’ll burn through her energy!” Shikijo hollered over the sounds of battle, as he dodged the attack of a charging beast.

“How long is that!?” Brom shouted back, bringing his sword down on the skull of a dog-like creature.

“By my rough calculation…about two weeks!” he replied.

“And we have to be cautious! She is still volatile!” Joujou added.

“Volatile!? What do you mean!?” Garanth also asked.

“She could explode and take all of us with her!”

“We don’t have two weeks! This needs to end now!” Ceara scrambled through the chaos to find the branded blade. “I need to get close to her.” Ceara thought. She slowly maneuvered through the battle, keeping Scarlet in her sights.

“It’s not hard to knock these things down…it’s the fact they keep coming!” Brom complained.

“Then we build a wall of bodies!” Garanth replied, swinging his mace to smash one of the creatures.

“Oh darlings, you can’t stop me! You can’t stop Mordremoth! We are forever!!” She brought her hand up, bringing forth a vine from the ground. It wrapped around Garanth’s leg and yanked him down.

“Garanth!” Brom shouted as the mordrem jumped on the fallen Charr. An energy shield erupted from the pile, launching the creatures off him. Brom smiled, which quickly faded when Garanth was pulled away by the vine, quickly careening towards the edge of the cliff. Bram chased after him, catching his arm just as Garanth went over the side.

“So pathetic…” Scarlet spouted, watching the Charr. Her attention turned to the numerous illusions of Amaranda that had been surrounding her. “Tsk tsk, Seer. Your tricks are nothing to me.” Scarlet held out her arm to her side, a vine growing and wrapping around one of the clones, which she brought close. “Now, seer, you should have a talk with-“ Scarlet was cut off by a beam of energy shoved into her back, which protruded from her chest. She watched the clone shatter into a cloud of flowers.

“Heh…you got me this time, seer” She turned and backhanded Amaranda, knocking her away. “Your weapons are nothing to me.” She hissed at Amaranda as she brought her other arm up behind her, vines shot from her arm, wrapping around Ceara and she quickly approached Scarlet. The vines pulled Ceara to Scarlet, which worked in Ceara’s favor.

“Now, time to come home.” Scarlet smiled, which was short lived as Ceara used the branded blade to cut through the vines much to Scarlet’s bewilderment. Ceara attacked Scarlet relentlessly, putting her on the defensive. Eventually, Scarlet managed to get a vine coiled around Ceara’s arm that was holding the blade, bending it in a way that her arm backwards and pulling it. A loud crack was heard as Ceara felt the bones in her shoulder seperate. She screamed in pain, dropping the blade. Scarlet kicked it away while pulling Ceara to her.

“I tire of this.” Scarlet grabbed Ceara by the face but was interrupted again by Amaranda’s clones. Scarlet screamed in frustration. Tossing Ceara aside, she launched an attack of vines against Amaranda.

“I’ve got an idea. It’s a long shot, but an idea.” Shikijo stated.

“What are you going to do?” Joujou asked.

“Going to get some help.” He replied, disappearing in a teleport flash.

“WAIT! Blast it!” Joujou cursed. She turned her attention back to the battle. She quickly surveyed what was happening, trying to form a plan. Moments later, she was interrupted by a teleport flash above Scarlet.

“What…” Scarlet looked up to see a group of unruly pirates falling on top of her.

“Get her while she’s down, mates!” They piled on her, collapsing her to the ground. “Keep her down and we’re free!” Ceara looked on, nursing her injured arm. She recognized the pirates as the group she found in Bloodtide Coast. She took the moment to retrieve the branded blade while Scarlet was distracted.

“Um, captain!? What are those things!?” one of the crew asked. Captain Riggs looked at the mordrem who were turning towards them. Ceara was about to warn them, when vines erupted through the pile, stabbing through some of the group while throwing others off.

“ENOUGH!” Scarlet’s voice bellowed over the cliff. “This ends now!”

“Indeed, it does.” She heard Ceara’s voice behind her. She turned in time to see Ceara drive the branded blade through her chest. Black ichorous blood burst from Scarlet’s mouth. Electricity arced over her body and along the ground and the air filled with the hum of energy and a smell of ozone. Scarlet slowly reached up and grabbed Ceara by the bodice.

“Wha…why? We could…we could have made…the world a better place…”

“I just did…” Ceara smiled.

“This…isn’t…over…” Scarlet spat.

“Yes, it is…” Ceara smiled. “Later, tater.” She spoke softly.

“I…never really liked you…” Scarlet growled. Beams of energy shot from her eyes and mouth as Ceara quickly realized that Scarlet’s body was about to erupt. She tried to pull Scarlets hand free, but it was holding on tight. Scarlet’s body began to disintegrate in a torrent of energy. The wind throwing debris everywhere.

“Get behind me!” Garanth ordered the Asura as he placed his shield in front of him, projecting a force field. Brom covered the asura with his body to protect them. Amaranda found cover behind a pile of rocks, along with the remaining pirate crew. A deafening explosion rocked the cliffside, sending dirt and debris into the air, and then silence.

“Is…is it over?” Shikijo asked nervously.

Garanth looked out from behind his shield to see a small crater where Scarlet once stood. “Looks like it.” He replied.

“Ceara?” Amaranda called to her while looking out from the rockpile. She could see Ceara lying face down, partially covered in dirt. “Ceara!” She ran over to her. “No..no no no!” She rolled Ceara’s motionless body over.

“Wake up! By the pale mother, you have to wake up!” Tears started welling up in Amaranda’s eyes. “It can’t end like this.” She whimpered as she lightly slapped Ceara’s cheek. Ceara groaned lightly.

“It hurts when you do that.” she muttered. She slowly opened her eyes, her breathing was very labored.

“Thank the pale tree!” Amaranda cradled Ceara’s head in her arms.

“You’re…choking me…Did…we win?” Ceara asked gasping.

“We did.” Amaranda said nodding her head. She turned to look at the branded blade laying on the ground. The two Asura standing around it, scanning it with equipment.

“I feel…like I’ve been shot with a cannonball…” Ceara said as she gasped for air. She opened her hand, revealing the small force shield device she had activated just in time.

“We need a mender here now!” Amaranda screamed as the Charr approached. “Didn’t you hear me!? She needs help!”

Garanth closed his eyes for a moment while taking a deep breath. “Scarlet Briar, you are under arrest for crimes against the people of Tyria. If you resist, we will use force.”

“WHAT!?” Amaranda screamed. “YOU CAN’T BE SERIOUS!? She needs attention right now! Besides, her name isn’t Scarlet Briar!” Amaranda looked down at her. “It’s Ceara.” Ceara looked at Amaranda for a moment before looking back the Charr.

“Ma’am, whatever her name is, she is a wanted criminal. And if you stand in the way, you will be arrested for obstruction as well.”

“I CAN’T BELIEVE THIS!” Amaranda screamed.

“Stand down, Garanth.” A voice said behind them. The Charr turned to see Taranis standing not far away, flanked by 3 other Sylvari.

“Warden! Do something!” Amaranda said, noticing Failynne standing in the group.

“Sir?” Garanth asked.

“That’s an order. We are turning Scarlet Briar over to these wardens.”

“What!? She’s a wanted criminal! She destroyed Lion’s Arch! She killed people all throughout Tyria!”

“Dismissed!” Taranis barked the order. The Charr breathed in deep, the anger brewing in his eyes. He and Brom both started marching down the cliffside.

“I don’t like this at all.” Brom muttered under his breath. “I think all these Sylvari are up to something.”

Taranis looked at the crystal blade that lay in on the ground nearby.

“Yep, she’s contained in the crystal.” Shikijo said.

“And she’s not happy about it” Joujou added.

“We’ll call the Priory up here to retrieve it.” Taranis said to them.

“Oh, we were going to take it back to Rata Sum for study.”

Taranis’s face grew angry. “What that thing holds is too dangerous to be out in the world! The Priory will take it and safeguard it away where no one will be able to find it. If you resist, I will have you arrested and thrown into the same prison you teleported those pirates out of! Consider yourselves lucky!” He then walked past them to where Ceara lay before turning to Failynne and the wardens.

“Warden, she’s all yours.” He stated.

“Thank you, Taranis. I’m sorry the mother tree had to put you in this position.”

“No matter. I have already tendered my resignation from the Lionguard and sent it to Kiel. When this gets out, it’ll be my neck on the line.” He breathed in deep looking at Ceara. “I’ve always wondered what the life of a farmer was like.”

“I’m sorry.” Failynne said softly before turning to the wardens. “Tapani, get a mender up here and get Scarlet ready for transport back to the Grove.”

“No!” Ceara coughed. “Take…take me to Mender Seoras…in Bloodtide Coast…” her voice was raspy.

“Seoras?” Failynne asked, somewhat puzzled.

“Do it!” Amaranda shouted.

———————————————————————————————————–

Seoras sat at his small table, writing in his journal when he heard a ruckus outside. Stepping into the doorway into his home, he saw a group of armored Sylvari approaching carrying what looked to be a stretcher of sorts. He stepped out and recognized Ceara on the stretcher. He rushed out to them.

“What happened?” he asked.

“She is having trouble breathing. Her right arm is broken, maybe dislocated at the shoulder. Not sure what else.” Failynne told him.

“Get her inside immediately!” he ordered. Ceara was brought back into the room from which she awoke from her coma. They gently moved her to the bed and Seoras started removing her armor.

“We’ll wait outside.” Failynne motioned her wardens to leave.

“Wilda, bring me the oils and…just hand me everything in that shelf!” Seoras spoke to a colorful sylvari woman that was staying in the same village. She started gathering the things he requested. Ceara slowly turned her head towards Amaranda.

“Amee…” she whispered, her voice barely audible. Amaranda knelt and gently grabbed Ceara’s hand.

“I’m here.” Amaranda spoke softly. Ceara started gasping for air.

“It’s going to be ok.” Ceara forced a small smiled, her bioluminescence flared brightly. “It’s all…it’s…all going to be… ok…” her voice trailed off as her glow slowly faded. Her eyes dulled as her head slowly rolled to the side.

“Ceara? CEARA! NO!” Amaranda screamed. “NO! COME BACK!”

Seoras looked at Ceara’s face. “She’s fading!” He quickly started grabbing items from Wilda’s arms.

“Ceara! No! Come back!” Amaranda was hysterical, tears streaming down her face.

“Wilda, get her out of here now!” Seoras ordered the colorful sylvari.

“Come. You can’t be in here right now. It’s not good.” Wilda walked Amaranda out of the abode to where Failynne and the wardens were waiting.

“It can’t end this way….” Amaranda dropped to the ground sobbing. One of the wardens knelt beside her, gently placing his hand on her shoulder. “She…she was on the right path.” Amaranda said through her tears.

“Is she…” Failynne started, turning to Wilda.

“When she was brought to us before, she was at the brink, barely clinging to life. Mender Seoras pulled her back and saved her life.” Wilda spoke in a calming tone. “Right now, he is doing everything he can.” she said solemnly, before returning to Seoras’s home.


	12. Wherever the Adventure takes Me

_Sometimes we need help putting the pieces back together_

Days passed. The morning air was cool, an overcast sky blocked the sun as a light fog hovered over the lake near Amaranda’s small home. She sat at a low table, her journal in front of her. She hadn’t been able to eat or sleep since arriving back from the soundless village. Even seeking comfort from the Pale Tree did little to ease her mind.

“You came back to us.” She thought. “You endured everything, and you came back. And now…” her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of footsteps outside. A male sylvari in traditional sylvari clothing appeared in the doorway.

“Amaranda?” he asked.

“Yes?” she got to her feet. He held out a folded parchment to her. Opening it she read it out loud.

“Amaranda, she is awake now. If you wish to visit, you may do so when you are ready. Mender Seoras.” She looked up at the visitor, her eyes wide. “Take me there! Now!” she exclaimed.

———————————————————————————————————–

Seoras stood at a shelf mixing an herbal tea when he heard a knock at the door. Turning, he saw Amaranda standing in the doorway. He motioned for her to step in.

“She’s awake.” He said softly. “But she is suffering from severe headaches. They do seem to be slowly fading, but please try to be as quiet as possible.” She nodded and followed him into the room where Ceara was still laying on the bed. A sheet pulled up to her chest and a damp cloth laid across her eyes, her right arm in a brace. Ceara turned her head slightly in Amaranda’s direction.

“It’s me.” Amaranda spoke softly.

“Amee.” Ceara replied quietly, her voice dry and hoarse. Amaranda grabbed her hand gently.

“I’m so glad you’re ok. Everyone is waiting to hear any news.”

“I’m sorry to keep them waiting.” Ceara replied, a slight bit of snark in her voice. Amaranda smiled lightly.

“Mother is waiting to see you again.”

Ceara let out a small sigh. “Mother…It seems I’ll be seeing her soon enough.”

“What do you mean?”

“When I’m able, the wardens will come and retrieve me to have an audience with her.”

“Well, that’s excellent news!” Amaranda said excitedly. Seoras turned to her, a distraught look on his face. Amaranda looked at him as he motioned for her to keep her voice down.

“I’m sorry.” She mouthed to him. He turned back to mixing the tea.

“Is it?” Ceara asked.

“Well, yes, I think so.” Amaranda replied happily.

Ceara took a deep breath. Mender Seoras stood next to Amaranda and removed the cloth from Ceara’s eyes. She opened them slightly, looking at Amaranda. They glowed softly. Amaranda smiled at her as Seoras knelt beside the bed, holding the cup of tea.

“Please don’t knock this out of my hand this time.” He said to Ceara.

“I won’t as long as you aren’t trying to poison me.” She replied, slowly sitting up, wincing at the pain in her shoulder. He handed her the cup, which she drank from slowly. She grimaced at the taste. “Again, who taught you to make tea?”

Seoras chuckled a bit. “You know good medicine never tastes good.” Ceara winced as she brought her hand to her forehead.

“Are you ok?” Amaranda asked softly.

“I’ll be ok.” Ceara responded, grimacing slightly from the pain. She handed the cup to her, who placed it on the table next to the bed. Ceara slowly laid back down, Seoras placing a fresh cloth over her eyes.

“Is there anything you need?” Amaranda asked. A few moments passed as Ceara didn’t say anything. Amaranda stood. “Well, I’ll leave you to rest.”

“Amee…”Ceara spoke.

“Yes?” Amaranda turned to her sister.

There was a long pause before Ceara spoke again. “Thank you, sister.” Amaranda smiled as she turned to leave.

“Well, I think that’s the most heartfelt thing I’ve ever heard you say.” Seoras remarked.

“Stuff it, Mender.” Ceara retorted. Seoras laughed as he followed Amaranda outside.

“I think she’ll be ok in a few days. I know the mother tree is anxious to see her again.”

“Twice you have seemingly done the impossible, Mender.” Amaranda spoke. “For over a year she was lost to us. In the thrall of the jungle dragon, not knowing if what she was doing was herself or if it was the dragon controlling her. You saved her… twice. Given her a new life. I barely knew her before. She was always so aloof, rude to everyone. Never wanting to be around anyone. I never paid her any mind, just went about my own life. But now…” she paused a moment and looked towards the home. “Now I feel that I’ve found a sister I never knew I had. All the things she did. And yet, you somehow saw past all that. You somehow found good in her heart. For that I thank you. For everything you have done.”

“I believe in the good of everyone, Amaranda. Sometimes, for some it just takes a little while longer to find it.” 

Days later, Ceara stood looking out of the window in the mender’s home, once again watching the soundless sylvari going about their daily routine. She gently touched the foliage on her head, the missing stalk was slowly growing back. She hoped it wouldn’t turn into a rose like she had when she was younger. She heard Seoras enter the room.

“Are you just going to brood all day?” he asked.

“They’ll be here soon.” She said, a tone of disdain in her voice.

“I know. You should get ready.”

“I am ready.” She looked at him somewhat perturbed. She was dressed in simple human clothing. “Tell me, Mender. After all I have done. All the…lives I took, all the destruction I wrought…you saved my life. Why?”

Seoras sat down at the small table where he kept his journal. “I believe all life is valuable, Ceara. Even yours.” He paused a moment. “Everything you have been through, everything you did, was the cause of the jungle dragon. I know deep down, under that tough exterior, you have good in your heart. You just need to let it show.”

Ceara stared at the window ledge in silence, dwelling on the menders words. “When I was…unconscious…I was in the Mists.” She closed her eyes and breathed deep. “I saw…” she paused. “I saw Ventari again.”

“Again?” Seoras asked. Somewhat surprised.

“Yes. I saw him once before when I was tossed into the mists. Then again while I lay here.”

“What did he say?”

“He said…” Ceara paused, looking out the window, noticing Warden Failynne and her entourage approaching. “They’re here.” She sighed deeply. “Let’s get this over with.” She exited the mender’s home into the afternoon sun. Failynne approached her.

“Hands up in front of you.” Ceara sighed and raised her hands. Failynne put shackles on her.

“So now this is when you put shackles on me to haul me off to jail.”

“It’s only to make it look official. You’re lucky I’m not putting these on you for real.”

“Do you have to put them on so tight?

“Yep, to make it look official.” Failynne then turned to Seoras. “Thank you, Mender.” Seoras nodded slightly.

“I’ll be back to get my things soon.” Ceara said, as one of the wardens shoved her forward.

———————————————————————————————————–

The group entered the Grove through an Asura gate near the path to Caledon Forest. They walked briskly to the upper commons area where a pod awaited to take them to the Omphalos Chamber. Almost everyone stopped to take notice of Ceara being marched through the Grove in shackles and chains. She just stared ahead of her, paying no heed to the glares and whispers as she passed by. She stopped just before entering the pod. She didn’t know what to expect. She hadn’t seen her mother since she left the Grove years ago. The Pale Tree was never really in her thoughts. One of the wardens nudged her into the pod. She breathed deep as the pod rose to the Omphalos Chamber. Exiting the pod, she stopped again, looking at Ventari’s tablet, remembering what had happened in the Mists.

The Pale Tree watched as the pod crested over the edge of the chamber. She clasped her hands together in front of her chest in anticipation of seeing a daughter who was lost to her a long time ago. She smiled warmly as she watched Ceara exit the pod, stopping to look at Ventari’s tablet. The wardens guarding the Pale Tree slowly put their hands on their weapons. Ceara turned towards her mother as Failynne pulled on the shackles. As she approached, she saw various other Sylvari in the chamber. She only recognized a few of them. Amaranda, the firstborns Aife and Niamh as well. Ceara glanced slightly at her mother before looking away at the ground. The wardens bowed before the Pale Tree.

“Mother, I have brought Ceara as you have asked.” Failynne spoke.

“Warden, I believe the shackles are not necessary.” The Pale Tree replied, her voice calm and peaceful. Failynne stood and removed the cuffs from Ceara arms. She then stepped behind Ceara and stood ready, her two warden proteges at her side. Ceara continued to look at the ground in silence.

“I would suggest you step forward.” Failynne whispered over Ceara’s shoulder. Moments passed before Ceara took one small step forward.

“My daughter…” the Pale tree started. “You have endured so much pain and suffering at the hands of the dragon. The beast tried to ravage your mind, and you fought back with every fiber of your being.” She stepped forward “The strength and bravery you showed, to stand against such a threat.” She gently put her hands on Ceara’s shoulders. “I’m so proud of you.”

There was a long silence. Ceara slowly turned her face away from the Pale Tree, looking at the ground beside her. “I didn’t stand against it…I couldn’t…” she finally said. “I ignored the warnings.”

“Ambition can blind one to the truth, sometimes.” The Pale Tree stated, removing her hands from Ceara’s shoulders. “You’re ambition to learn all you can drove you forward. You sought the mystery of the unknown, to learn about it.”

“And what I found almost destroyed me…”

“But it didn’t. Whether you realize it or not, you stood strong in the face of such adversity. You didn’t back down, but instead you used your strengths against it.”

“But it took control of me. It made me…” Ceara closed her eyes, trying to block out the memories of what happened. She remembered the twisted images of the Pale Tree from Ventari’s vision.

“What have I done?…” she asked quietly, a tear forming in her eye.

“Tyria will heal with time. And as it heals, so too will you. And the wounds will become but a faded memory.”

“Some wounds never heal. Like a broken puppet that can’t be fixed.”

“Ceara…you are free from the beast. Free to live your life again as you please.”

“But Tyria will never forget…or forgive.”

“With time the people of Tyria will move on. We learn from the past with the hopes to build a better life for the world. Your knowledge of the world around you would be a great boon for Tyria.”

Ceara looked at the Pale Tree. “But how, Mother? No one will trust me. Everyone will rather see me dead!”

“No, my daughter-“

“The things I did. All the ruin. All the chaos. I should have died in Lion’s Arch that day! Instead, I’m here…” Ceara paused a moment staring at the Pale Tree as tears streamed down her face. “Is this what I was meant to be? Is this my punishment!?”

“Ceara, it wasn’t you that did those things.”

“It may not have been me. But it used me. I was there. I gave in to it. Allowed it to take control and terrorize the world. And now…now because of it…” Ceara paused as her voice choked…”I….I’m broken!”

Ceara dropped to her knees sobbing. The Pale Tree knelt in front of her, putting her arms around her. Ceara fell into the Pale Trees shoulder, slowly bringing her arms around to embrace the Pale Tree.

“No, my daughter. You’re not broken. You just lost your way for a little while.”

———————————————————————————————————–

The next day, Ceara sat in one of the small homes in the bottom of the Grove. It was one of the houses mostly used by Sylvari saplings until they are ready to venture out into the world. Amaranda walked in, holding some fruit. She paused a moment to look at her sister.

“What?” Ceara asked.

“Thank you for visiting mother. It put her a little at ease to know you’re ok.”

“I’m not ok. I was a sobbing mess in front of her. Ventari broke me.” 

“He did no such thing!” Amaranda protested. “If anything, he set you on a much better path. And you’re not broken. You might be a little strange, but you’re not broken.” Amaranda said to her.

“Strange? This is coming from the one who spends all her time alone writing journals with a bunch of skritt.”

“It’s quite peaceful, thank you.”

“Mmhmm”

“Mother told me a story…” Amaranda started, as she set the fruit on a small table. “About you, when you were a sapling.”

“What did she say?” Ceara asked cautiously.

“She told me a story about how furious you would get when she forbade you from capturing an Asura and experimenting on it as revenge for what they did to Canach and the others.”

“They would have deserved it.” Ceara stated, staring out of the doorway.

“She also asked me to look after you.”

“Look after me? For what?”

Amaranda paused for a moment, looking at Ceara. “You’re hurting. From what happened to you. From what that thing made you do. I can feel it.”

“I’m be fine.”

“No. you aren’t.”

Ceara started a rebuttal, but stopped herself, a feeling of emptiness in her chest. She sighed lightly, looking to the floor.

“I can tell.” Amaranda spoke softly. “Come with me to my home in Brisbane. You can stay there. It’s secluded. Peaceful. Relaxing. A home so you to heal.”

“Home…” Ceara muttered. She thought back to that day on the Breachmaker. “Come home, my child.” She spoke softly to herself.

“What?” Amaranda asked slightly confused.

Ceara stared at the fruit on the table. “After all this time. All the things that happened…” She looked at Amaranda.

“She still loves you. She never stopped loving you.”

Ceara sat in silence for few moments, seemingly lost in thought

“Anyway…” she finally spoke. “I’ll see you in Brisbane when I’m finished with what I need to do.” She stood and stretched.

“What? Where are you going?”

“I’m heading back to the menders village to retrieve my belongings.” Ceara started heading for the door. “And I have some other business to take care of.”

“Fine.” Amaranda said in a huff. “But when you’re finished, you better come home.” Ceara looked over her shoulder at Amaranda about to say something.

“Don’t you even start! There is no arguing about it!” Amaranda cut her off, raising her finger to her sister. “And if you don’t, I will hunt you down to the end of Tyria and bring you home myself.”

“Oh really?” Ceara laughed. She waved slightly to Amaranda as she stepped out into the grove.

———————————————————————————————————–

Seoras was helping a sylvari who had been attacked on the beach while catching food when Ceara walked into his home.

“You could have knocked first.” Seoras said, tending to his ward.

“Well, I’ve been here so much, I figure it was like home already.” She replied, a slight ting of snark in her voice. Going over to the trunk that held her armor, she started pulling the pieces out, laying them on the bed, before undressing.

“I’ll have to rebuild the power supply.” She muttered as she looked over the various pieces. She started assembling the suit, stopping to look at the hole in the bodice.

“I still need to fix that.” She struggled putting it on. “Thorns.” She cursed under her breath.

“You need to let that arm heal.” Seoras said, finishing with his current ward.

“Feh.” She spat. Seoras was about to protest to her about putting her armor back on, but he resigned himself to helping her, knowing she wasn’t going to listen to him anyway. 

“I can’t believe you’re putting this back on.” he said in a concerned tone.

“Well, I certainly can’t carry it around. Besides, I have to see some people who may not be so nice.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, I have to go see some people about a ship.”

“A ship?”

“Yep!” she started out the door.

“And then let me guess…” he sighed.’Wherever the adventure takes you’?”

“My you’ve gotten so smart, Mender!” she joked as she ran off into the afternoon sun.


End file.
